Hermione meets her match
by pmwgirlie
Summary: After Hermione’s grandmother dies she finds herself seeking comfort in the arms of somebody that no one at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry expected, except maybe the legendary headmaster Albus Dumbledore, least of all Hermione and her consoler
1. Beginnings, beginnings

Beginnings, beginnings.. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters except Sarah, the rest is the work of the author of Harry Potter, and would never consider saying I did anything on her level. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
Summary: When Hermione's grandmother dies and she finds herself seeking comfort in the arms of somebody that no one at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry expected, except maybe the legendary headmaster Albus Dumbledore, least of all Hermione and her consoler. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" screamed Ron as a great ball of ginger fluff began to claw at his robes. "Crookshanks!!! Git off! Hermione come get your cat."  
It was the night before they were set to leave for kings cross and the house was in an uproar. The Weasley's new house was already small and cramped with the remaining few members of the family, let alone the entire order, and Harry and Hermione.  
Ever since they had left Hogwarts the previous year Harry Ron and Hermione had been inside this house, which Dumbledore had procured for Mr. and Mrs. Weasley for their protection from Voldemort. No one had gone near Number Twelve Grimwald Place since tragic death of Harry's god father last year. They all felt it was too hard, they hadn't even said his name if it didn't concern the order.  
Now they were leaving, going back to school and the endless classes with their various teachers. But for Harry Ron and Hermione the new school year meant something more than it did for all the other students. It meant training, the training that Dumbledore had decided to give them so that they could protect themselves if they were ever attacked.  
"Hey have you guys seen my Arithmancy book, I can't find it anywhere." Asked Hermione.  
"No, weren't you just reading it this morning?" said Ron.  
"Yes, but I put it down on the.." Hermione was interrupted by a tapping on the window, where a snowy owl sat with a letter tied to her leg.  
"Hedwig! What are you doing here; I thought you were out hunting." Harry said as he opened the window and his owl flew over to perch on the headboard and stick out her leg. "It's from Dumbledore." Harry stated as he unfolded the letter and saw Dumbledore's ancient scrawl.  
  
Harry, Ron, Hermione,  
Please meet me in my office after the start of term feast.  
  
Albus Dumbledore  
"When do you think they'll start?" asked Hermione  
"Who do you think will be teaching us?" questioned Ron "As long as it's not Snape, I'm happy." Commented Harry  
"As long as what's not Snape?" asked Ginny who had just walked into the room during Harry's last statement.  
Ginny had sprouted over the summer, she was now only a few inches shorter than Harry and it was quit obvious that she would have the Weasley height.  
"Nothing, just some defense stuff." Said Ron  
"You guys have been secretive all summer now what about Snape and this defense stuff?!?!" Ginny started the statement in a normal voice but it had gradually risen to a yell by then end.  
"Ginny, calm down it isn't important." Said Harry trying to calm her down.  
"No, I won't calm down! Now I want to know what's going on, I know that it has nothing to do with me, but you three have been plotting together all summer. You have been off in your own world and there was no one else in this whole stupid house for me to talk to." Raved Ginny, just before she turned around, threw open the door, and walked right into her mother.  
"I thought I heard yelling," said Mrs. Weasley. "Having a little slumber party, you all need to get to bed; after all, we all have a big day tomorrow."  
"We know mom." Said Ron when his mother gave him a glare for not saying anything.  
With that Ginny walked out of the room and into hers slamming the door behind her.  
"Well I guess we'll get to sleep too, night mum." Said Ron "Ok, just get there soon." Warned Mrs. Weasley just before she walked out and went down the hall to her own room.  
"Well I guess we have kind of been leaving her out a lot lately. Maybe we should include Ginny, I mean she could be a target too, couldn't she?" said Harry.  
"Yeah I guess so.. well I'm going to go to bed, I'll see you tomorrow ok." said Hermione.  
"Bright and early, I'll be the one sleep walking." stated Ron  
"Well, you shouldn't have left your homework until last night Ron, you might have gotten more sleep." said Hermione  
"Why they give us homework over the summer, I'll never know." said Ron  
With a laugh Hermione left the two boys alone. They immediately started to get ready for bed.  
"Do you really think that Ginny could be a target Harry? I mean for real, could she be in danger?" asked Ron, the worry evident in his voice.  
"Well, I don't know, but it is a possibility. I mean isn't it." stated Harry, but noticing the worry lines on his friends face deepen he expounded on his comment. "but don't worry, if you want we can talk to Dumbledore about it tomorrow."  
"Alright, I'll feel better when we start the training." said Ron.  
Finally they climbed into there beds and turned off the light, but just before he fell asleep Harry said, more rhetorically than as an actual question, "Who do you think will be teaching us?" But his friend was already sound asleep, and a second later, he was too.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ I used tragic because the definition of tragic is basically a hero having a trait that led to his death, Sirius' cockiness lead to his death. 


	2. Finally out

Finally out!!!!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The journey to kings cross was chaotic, between the lost books and the lost people they were all amazed that they made it in time. Especially after Ginny refused to leave because she couldn't find her dress robes, which they still hadn't found but Mr. and Mrs. Weasley promised to send via owl as soon as they found them.  
  
But they made it, and they were all comfortably seated in their own compartment on the train, laughing over the chocolate frogs and Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. When the compartment door slid open towards the end of the journey Luna walked in on the jubilations.  
  
"Wow, I didn't know there was a party going on down here or I would have come down sooner." Luna said in a laughing tone. At first glance, she was almost unrecognizable. She had cut her hair to frame her face, her eyebrows were much more distinct, and her eyes were normal now, instead of being stuck in that surprised look like last year. Not everything about her had changed however, she still stowed her wand behind her ear for safe keeping, and she still wore the same necklace of butterbeer caps.  
  
"We do have a lot of stuff, don't we Harry...." Said Hermione  
  
"What?" said Harry trying to look innocent.  
  
"You bought all of this, we didn't ask for it." said Hermione in a joking tone.  
  
"But still, thanks man." Said Ron.  
  
"Hey Luna, how was your summer?" asked Ginny  
  
"I went to France with my dad, we had so f\much fun, we got to stay in the Eiffel Tower!" said Luna  
  
"Ooooh, isn't it a beautiful view, I didn't get to stay there, cause my parents are muggle, but I still got to go to the top." Hermione said.  
  
None of them noticed when the compartment door opened and blond haired boy walked in.  
  
"Well, well, well, look who it is. And how was your summer Potter, did u go somewhere with your daddy too?? OOOHH no wait, your daddy is dead, oh but you probably went somewhere with that godfather of yours. No hold he's dead too, wow you really have no one do you." Malfoy commented, the hatred in his eyes was enough to burn.  
  
"Oh well, yeah that's true, but see at least I can still have respect them cause they died to protect a bunch of people from dying. I mean, it's not like they're wasting away in some jail cell because they followed a loser like Voldemort. Ooh, wait isn't that what happened to your dad?" said Harry with just as much hatred radiating from his voice.  
  
Draco's hand made a twitching movement, as if to reach for his wand but stopped. "Well at least my dad will come back you see since the Dementors are gone, there is really nothing stopping him and all the other deatheaters from walking out, like I said last year Potter, he will get out. Can you say the same?" he only paused for a minute, letting his words sink in, but he continued when Harry stood up and made a move toward him with his fists clenched. "Watch it now Potter, beating up a prefect is no way to start off the new school year."  
  
"Harry don't, he isn't worth it just let it go." Hermione said, trying to squash the fight she knew was about to erupt. It seemed as if she succeeded because Harry sat back down.  
  
"That's right Potter, listen to your little mudblood slut." As soon as the words were out of his mouth Harry and Ron were both on there feet. Their fists collided with each side of Malfoy's face at the same moment. There was a sickening crack as Malfoy's jaw slid out of socket and his nose broke, just before he collapsed in a heap on the floor.  
  
"Harry, Ron!! Oh god, you didn't kill him did you?" said Hermione as she bent over to check for a pulse, "oh, good, you didn't..jerk." And with that she kicked Malfoy in the stomach.  
  
As if on cue the train began to slow down. "Come on, let's get our stuff and get out of here. We'll just leave this filth for the cleaners." Ron said.  
  
As they walked out of the compartment each person made sure to kick, or step on Malfoy. Ginny went out of her way to make sure, with the heel of her boot, that he could never have children.  
  
"I don't envy him the pain he's gonna feel when he wakes up." Commented Harry upon seeing this.  
  
"Stupid git." Ron said.  
  
Together the five of them made their way of the train to the Thestral drawn carriages. As soon as they reached them they all squeezed into one and started there climb to Hogwarts castle.  
  
When the Thestrals came to a stop they climbed out and headed up the stone steps to the front doors along with everyone else and into the Great Hall. The ceiling was a rich blue with little white dots all over it tonight. They took their seats at there table and waited patiently for the first years to arrive on the lake.  
  
After what seemed like only a few minutes the doors to the great hall opened, but it wasn't Hagrid with the first years, but instead there stood Professors Snape and McGonagall. They headed straight for the Gryffindor table, and stopped right in front of Harry and Ron.  
  
"Mr. Weasley, Mr. Potter, come with me please." Said McGonagall. Harry and Ron exchanged worried glances before standing up.  
  
"Professor?" asked Hermione  
  
"Oh, all right you may be useful in this Miss Granger come along then." Said McGonagall, and the five of them scampered off down the hall into the dungeons and Snape's office.  
  
There, all cozy in front of the fire, sat Draco Malfoy a smug grin on his face like knew what was coming. He probably did thought Hermione, and she had a good idea what this was about.  
  
"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, give me one good reason why I shouldn't expel you right now."  
  
"Now, now Severus. That isn't called for; let's here there side of the story before we take such drastic steps." McGonagall said. "Now, what happened on the train to make you both do this to Mr. Malfoy?"  
  
In the briefest terms possible, Harry described exactly what happened on the train. "Well Mr. Potter that is an interesting story, what is even more interesting is the scene I found upon walking into my office tonight. About ten House elves tending to Mr. Malfoy's wounds, wounds that you inflicted." Snapped Snape.  
  
"Here now Severus we need to get up to feast, we'll come back and deal with the punishments after the sorting, come on, they can stay here and wait for us to return." McGonagall said. And with that Snape gave Harry one last glare and walked out of the room, followed closely but McGonagall.  
  
The four sixth years just stood there, not moving, not wanting to cause another scene, especially since they were already in trouble for getting into one fight today, no matter how one sided it had been.  
  
It seemed like ages before their heads of Houses returned, but they finally did and released some of the pressure that had been building since they left.  
  
"Right now I think a detention each for Mr. Weasley Mr. Potter and Miss Granger should do." Said Snape.  
  
"WHAT!!" "Professor!" "NO!"  
  
"Don't forget Mr. Malfoy Severus." Said McGonagall. Malfoy who had been sitting quietly trying to suppress his laugh now looked like he had just been slapped, a mixture of fear and hatred played across his face. He still remembered his last detention with Harry and Ron, in their first year. "Professor McGonagall, I don't understand why I should get a detention, I didn't do anything" Malfoy pleaded.  
  
"Oh to the contrary Mr. Malfoy, you dealt out just as many low blows as you got back in return. You are just as at fault here as any of these three. Now I suggest your all get back up to the Great Hall for the remainder of the feast." McGonagall explained. And with that they all left the office.  
  
The feast went by very quickly, and before they knew it Harry Ron and Hermione were on their way up to Dumbledore's office. Their feet were dragging by the time they reached the statue of the stone gargoyle.  
  
"Earwax." As Harry said the password the gargoyle jumped to life and sprang out of their way, giving them a full view of the stairway that stood beyond.  
  
"Well now hello, how are you three? Other than angry." Spoke Dumbledore to the three young people who had just entered his office.  
  
"Excited to start our real defense training." Stated Hermione  
  
"Really excited." Mimicked Ron.  
  
"Yes, I guessed that you would be. So they will start immediately. In six weeks you will report to the Defense against the Dark Arts classroom at 8:00 p.m. for your first lesson. We will work out the rest of the details then. Well it looks as if you all are about ready to pass out, and I dare say it has been an exciting day," said Dumbledore with a meaningful look at Ron and Harry. "You all should get to bed, after all, big days ahead of you."  
  
Harry and Hermione got up, as if to leave but one look from Ron had them turning around to discuss one more thing with the headmaster.  
  
"Umm. Professor we were all thinking that maybe it would be a good idea to include Ginny in all of this, I mean if Voldemort would be smart enough to go after Hermione and Ron to get to me, then wouldn't he be smart enough to attack Ginny, to get to me?" asked Harry, trying to be as matter of fact as possible.  
  
"Well I do believe that you are right Harry. If you wish, you may bring Ginny along with you to your lessons. But she must keep silent, if anyone found out about these lessons it could leak to Voldemort, and if this plan is going to work, we have to have the element of Surprise." stated Dumbledore in a voice full of command, yet at the same time that same old youthfulness that they had missed so much last year.  
  
"Alright, then its set," said Ron. "I think we should be leaving, right Hermione?" he laughed as Hermione tried and failed to stifle her yawn.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." said Hermione once she had gotten a hold of herself. "Bye Professor."  
  
"Yeah bye." said Harry and Ron as they walked out the door and down the stairs.  
  
As soon as they were outside the office Ron once again voiced the Question they were all thinking. "So, who do you think will be teaching us?"  
  
They laughed over the possibilities as they walked back to the common room. When they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, Hermione muttered the password and they scrambled in. Spotting Ginny over in the corner by herself, absorbed in a paper on her lap, they walked over to her, and proceeded to tell her everything about the Defense lessons. When they were finished Ginny just stared open mouthed at them all.  
  
"So, you're telling me that Voldemort might try to kill me?!?!?!?!?!?!?! Urgh, I knew I was born into the wrong family." said Ginny jokingly. "So it all starts in six weeks. Wow!"  
  
They all sat there in silence for a few more minutes until Ginny let out a great yawn. At which point they all stood up and separated to their various dorms.  
  
The first few weeks of classes flew by. Snape tried to make up for not being able to expel Harry and Ron by taking off more points than usual during class. But it was on one dreary day in their fifth week of school during double potions that Hermione was called to the Headmasters office to receive a message that would change her life forever.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Hey sorry if it isn't any good. But please review it. 


	3. Sweet Sorrow

"Veritaserum is a highly sensitive potion. The slightest thing can make it poisonous. So I suggest you pay very close attention to the directions!" said Snape with a meaningful glance at Neville. "You will be sampling this potion when you are finished. Begin!"  
  
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville stood in the back of the dungeon. They were about to begin when the door opened and Denis Creevey stepped in.  
  
"Umm..Professor?" said Denis in a halting voice.  
  
"Yes, what is it that is so important you feel the need to interrupt my class?" said Snape.  
  
"Pr..Professor Dumbledore wants to see Hermione Granger in his office right away, he says it's urgent." Denis said.  
  
"Very well, Ms. Granger, collect your things and get out of my class."  
  
"What in the world does Dumbledore want with me that is urgent?!?!?!" said Hermione in a whisper to Harry and Ron just before she hurried out of the dungeon. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Hermione was starting to become apprehensive as she sat in the chair in front of Dumbledore's desk. Staring into the blue depths of his eyes, which usually contained a sparkle, she saw now a strange new emotion, pain and sadness.  
  
"Miss Granger, I have just received a letter that is most distressing."  
  
Hermione didn't know why but she had a strange feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. It was almost as if a warning bell was going off in her head. "Sir, what is it, what happened?"  
  
"It's your grandmother... she died of a heart attack this morning." Dumbledore's voice was filled was sadness and comfort when he said this.  
  
Hermione didn't move, she just sat there and stared at the old man sitting in front of her.  
  
"Your parents are on there way, they want you to be ready to leave by the time they get here."  
  
"I.... I'll go pack." Said Hermione in an emotionless voice.  
  
As she walked out of the room Albus Dumbledore considered calling her back, telling her life would go on, but in the end decided against it. She needed time to grieve and there were only three people in the world, both muggle and magical, that could help her through this. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
As soon as Hermione walked out of the room Harry leaned over and whispered to Ron, "This can't be good, something has happened, something terrible."  
  
"How do you know?" said Ron skeptically "He probably just wants to give her some award for grades, or attendance, or something."  
  
"No, I don't' know, I just feel it. I can't explain it, it's just there." Said Harry  
  
"Mr. Weasley, Mr. Potter! What is that is more important than my class, I wonder. Ten points from Gryffindor. NOW BACK TO WORK!!!!" shouted Snape  
  
Harry and Ron quickly returned to their potion, from the other side of the dungeon they heard sniggering coming from Draco Malfoy and his gang of Slytherins.  
  
"Ooh, sometimes I would just love to ring his neck." Said Ron  
  
"Which one, Malfoy or Snape?" Harry asked  
  
"It's a toss up." Ron replied  
  
They finished up the class and hurried up to the common room. "I wonder where Hermione is." Said Ron in a worried voice.  
  
"She only just got pulled out of class, it would take sometime to get to Dumbledore's office and back here." Said Harry logically  
  
As soon as the words were out of his mouth the portrait opened and in stepped Hermione. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Are you sure about this Albus, those two, stuck together, he's powerful and she's smart, they might blow up the school." McGonagall said in a nervous tone.  
  
"Yes Minerva, there are two reasons, they need to be united, for the good of the war we need them to be allies. Besides, he is the only person her age in this school who knows what she is going through right now, if she hasn't snapped out of it by the time she gets back this could be just what she needs. Some one to talk to who know how it feels." Explained Dumbledore  
  
"One of her best friend is Harry Potter!!!" McGonagall reasoned  
  
"Yes and her never knew his parents, he didn't grow up with them or have a special connection with them, like she did." Dumbledore said  
  
"I guess you're right. It is a good plan." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Both boys were up in a flash. "Hermione what's wrong! Why are you crying." Asked Harry  
  
One look at Hermione and they had known she was that she had been crying for some time. The only question was, why.  
  
"My grandma, she..she...she's dead!"  
  
She felt like her legs were about to give out on her, and the next second they did. Harry and Ron were by her sides in a flash. "Hermione are you ok?" ask Ron  
  
"Ok.ok.would you be ok, would you?!" Hermione yelled  
  
"I didn't mean it that way, I only meant that you look like your about to pass out." Ron explained  
  
Ok. she had never felt worse in her life, but one look at Harry and Ron and she could tell they were scared for her, and sad for her. "I'm sorry I just can't believe this, she can't be gone, she can't." Hermione choked out just before a fresh batch of tears broke through.  
  
Harry awkwardly patted her back, not sure what else to do. "Hermione I.. I don't know what to say, I really am sorry, and if you need anything, we're here for you."  
  
"Yeah" agreed Ron  
  
"Well, I guess I better go pack, my parents are coming to pick me up and take me home for the funeral." Hermione Explained  
  
With that Hermione stood up and walked to her dormitory. While she was putting together a small bag she continued to cry on and off at random things, stupid things.  
  
When she returned to the common room it was filled with people talking and carrying on. Ron and Harry had been sitting in the chairs by the fireplace in silence, but as soon as Hermione came out they jumped up and walked over to her.  
  
"You ready to go?" asked Ron  
  
"You guys don't have to come to Dumbledore's office with me can make it on my own." Hermione offered  
  
"We want to." Harry said  
  
"Ok, thanks you guys, you're being really great." Hermione said. Then they left the common room and headed down the hall to Dumbledore's office. They spent the walk in silence, Ron and Harry understanding that Hermione needed time to process everything that had happened.  
  
About half way there they ran into the last person they wanted t see. Malfoy stood at the end of the corridor. "Well, well, well, look who it is. The golden child, the pauper and the mudblood. Such a trio you make."  
  
"Piss off Malfoy, you know wh.." Ron would have said more but was silenced by Hermione's hand on his arm.  
  
"Don't, he isn't worth it, we need to go." said Hermione in a defeated voice.  
  
As they were walking past him Malfoy put in one last word "That's it, run away, like the cowards you are." And with that Hermione turned around and slapped him so hard that he was knocked to the ground. Then she turned and walked away, Harry and Ron following after her, leaving a stunned Malfoy on the floor rubbing his cheek.  
  
Hermione's parents were already there when they arrived at Dumbledore's office. Her mother ran to her and embraced her.  
  
"Well, I guess we had better be going." Hermione's father said, and then turning to Dumbledore he said "Thank you professor for everything. Come on darlings. Let's go."  
  
"Wait." Hermione said. "Harry, Ron, thanks for being so great. Don't forget to take good care of Crookshanks." she gave them both a big hug. "Ok, let's go."  
  
Dumbledore took a pinch of floo powder and threw it into the flames. As one the Grangers walked into the flames and disappeared.  
  
Dumbledore was the first to tear his face away from the flames. "Well, that's the one problem with a muggle life, they die so young."  
  
"Yeah" said Ron as he came out of his trance "we had better get back to class Harry. Come on."  
  
"Wizards die young too, when their killed." Because Ron was walking to door he missed Harry's whispered statement, but Dumbledore heard him clear as day, and as Harry and Ron left his office Dumbledore looked even more slumped than usual. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Note~Sorry it took so long to update, but there will be more installments soon, right after exams are over. Thanks for reading. 


	4. Interesting Developments

Hermione felt like she was in Hell; as an endless swarm of people offered her their sympathy. She didn't want to hug them, she wanted to run away.  
  
She didn't know half these people, and didn't want to. She had gotten over her tears, and while it still hit her sometimes that she would never get to see her grandmother again, the tears weren't a continuous flow.  
  
She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice who was hugging her mother.  
  
"Hermione dear, I'd like you to meet Vernon and Petunia Dursley. And this is their son Dudley."  
  
"Oh you poor dear, I am so sorry for your loss. I never met her, but Vernon has told me such stories of when he was young and would visit her." Said Petunia  
  
"Of course, your father hadn't been born yet. My mother was a friend of hers, they would constantly be visiting, and I remember she always had a plate full of cookies waiting," added Vernon.  
  
It was obvious that they didn't recognize her, it shocked her that they could care so little about Harry's life.  
  
She couldn't help but embarrass them "Yes, I'm just sorry she never got to meet Harry. Or Ron for that matter, I'm sure they would have loved visiting her as much as you did."  
  
"Harry..... Our Harry??" asked Petunia stunned.  
  
"Yes, I go to school with Harry, he's a very bright boy."  
  
"You go to school with Harry?!" it was the first thing Dudley had said, and while he had looked bored before, he now looked scared.  
  
Mr. and Mrs. Dursley took a different approach, their expressions quickly turned form sympathy to loathing.  
  
"Well, we must be going now, we are truly sorry for your loss." And with that they turned and walked away, but as Hermione hugged the next person she could have sworn she heard Mr. Dursley mumble "They always ruin the good families."  
  
For the rest of the day Hermione just pretended to listen to the endless people saying "I'm sorry", like that did anything, oh, yeah because they're sorry she died everything was all better again.  
  
The funeral was an ordeal, having people stand up and talk about her grandmother almost proved to be Hermione's undoing; it ended before she could run however, and she was forced to get in a car and drive down to a graveyard. She then had to make her way through everyone else to get out of the graveyard. Next she had to go home and listen to people talk to her, telling her it would be ok, why wouldn't they just leave her alone.  
  
How did they know if everything would be okay or not, were they her? No, and at this point Hermione didn't even know what she was feeling anymore.  
  
When the gathering was over Hermione went into her bedroom, put on her pajamas and crawled under the covers. She then proceeded to cry herself to sleep.

* * *

Ron and Harry couldn't stop thinking about Hermione. They felt terrible about her grandmother. But most of all they had come to realize they didn't know all that much about her family. Sure they had seen her parents a couple of times, but neither of them had known she had a grandmother, and they didn't know how close she was to her either.  
  
Needless to say they had a pretty hard time paying attention in class. Since the Veritaserum was now simmering there was no risk to their health, except Snape.  
  
They figured that they needed to get out of the castle for a while. So during the first Hogsmeade weekend Harry, Ron, and Neville set of down the road. None of them realized what they were about to run into.  
  
They were just passing through the shadow of the hill upon which sat the shrieking shack when they first heard the voice they would never forget.  
  
"Watch out!!!"  
  
Ron and Harry turned at the same instant, but they weren't fast enough to get out of the way before a run-away trunk slammed into them, knocking them to the ground. It was the choice moment for the owner to lift the levitation spell so that it landed with a thud in their stomachs.  
  
The owner took a different approach. As they ran down the hill to fetch their trunk they stumbled and rolled the rest of the way down, right into Neville. In fact, they didn't stop there; they kept right on going, right into the brick wall of a building.  
  
"Are you all right?" asked Neville who was the first to get up. Ron and Harry were still struggling with the trunk which now didn't seem to want to move at all.  
  
"Yes, I hate to admit it but it happens all the time, I am rather clumsy."  
  
"Hey, can you two maybe give us a hand? We're kind of stuck." The comment, made by Ron, came out as a hoarse whisper, because the trunk now seemed eager to get to the ground, through Harry and Ron.  
  
"Oh, my. My spells do tend to get mixed up. Here, let me try this..."  
  
As the owner began the spell the ground beneath the boys seemed to shake and in the end the trunk gave up the battle, Ron and Harry promptly shoved it off of them and sat up coughing. As soon as they caught their breath they stood up and got their first good look at their attacker.  
  
The owner of the trunk turned out to be a young girl about their age with blond hair cut above the shoulder, actually that was the only way to tell her apart from Neville except for her eyes, which were a bluish-violet.  
  
They were her most striking feature. They were amazingly different. But at the same time Harry sensed something familiar in them.  
  
"I'm sorry about that; sometimes it's as if I have no magic left in me."  
  
"Yeah, and other times your just bursting with it, that whole earthquake thing was pretty freaky." Ron commented.  
  
"Yes, well... could you please tell me how to get to Hogwarts, I'm late as it is with that whole trunk fiasco, which I am truly sorry about."  
  
"It's fine, don't worry, here, I'll show you the way, I was just on my way back." As soon as Neville said this Harry and Ron exchanged a comical look.  
  
"Oh, thank you so much, my name is Sarah Ponyan."  
  
"I'm Neville" then almost as an afterthought "Longbottom"  
  
"Ron Weasley"  
  
"Harry... Potter"  
  
"Nice to meet yo........." she trailed off, which they were all used to in Harry's presence, but she wasn't staring at Harry, she was staring at Ron. "Oh, my, you're THE Ron Weasley!"  
  
"Umm..... well I'm the only one I know about so yeah, I guess so."  
  
"Oh, my, I never actually thought I would get o meet you! I saw your picture in the daily Prophet three years ago, and I have to admit, I had a bit of a crush on you." By the end of her speech Ron was as red as a cherry.  
  
"Well... thank you."  
  
"Oh, goodness, I've just done something stupid, haven't I."  
  
"No, no, I'm flattered, really." Harry could tell from Ron's tone of voice that he was uncomfortable.  
  
"Oh, well it is nice to meet you all even though it is because my trunk tried to kill you."  
  
"Well, you don't want to be any later than you Already Are, so let's get going, shall we?" Neville said this just before he offered her his arm.  
  
As they walked away, dragging her trunk behind them, Ron turned back to Harry, "Can you believe that! I was recognized! Wow! Wait a minute...." He paused to ponder something "She didn't even seem to recognize you!"  
  
But Harry wasn't listening, he was still trying t figure out what I was about her eyes that was so familiar to him.

* * *

NoteI am so sorry that it took me so long to update, but I do have a lot more chapters written, and I just need to type them up. Plus I am writing like crazy now that summer is here. Thanks for reading, and if you have been checking this fic to see if I have updated (unlikely) thanks a lot. You guys rock. I know I said it before but this time I mean it, installments are coming soon! 


	5. What is going on?

"Are you sure you want to go back now honey? You don't have to; you can stay home for a little longer." Hermione's mother was looking down at her with sympathetic eyes.  
  
"No mom, I need to go back, I don't want to get behind on my school work."  
  
What she didn't say was that she needed to go back. She was tire of her house and people constantly looking at her with pity. She just wanted to get back to Hogwarts. But mostly she needed to see Harry and Ron, she know that they would act normal around her, even if everyone else didn't. Her parents didn't even do that.  
  
Hermione was standing with her parents in front of the fire in the Leaky Cauldron. She had her bags and was ready to go.  
  
"Well, if you need anything, you know you can tell us" said Hermione's father.  
  
"And you can always come home if you need to. You shouldn't push yourself." Her mother really didn't understand.  
  
"I'm fine; you're acting like I'm the one who had the heart attack. Don't worry, I'm fine. And I'm leaving now. Bye." When Hermione had finished saying this she gave her parents a hug.  
  
"I love you sweetie" said Mr. Granger to his daughter.  
  
"I love you too, both of you. Bye." and with that she stepped into the fire and disappeared.

* * *

"Thank you so very much for helping me to the castle, I'm not sure if I would have made it on my own." Said Sarah, she was already out of breath, much like Neville. Just then McGonagall showed up and pulled Harry aside. When he rejoined the group he had a very strange look on his face.  
  
"Ron, we need to get up to Dumbledore's office." Harry explained.  
  
"Oh, that's just where I was headed. I'll go with you," said Sarah.  
  
"Ok, come on, let's go." Said Harry, when they started walking he leaned over and whispered to Ron "Hermione's coming back today, we need to go meet her."  
  
"So what classes do you guys take here?" Asked Sarah.  
  
"Well there's Transfiguration, taught by McGonagall, who you just saw. Herbology with Professor Sprout, Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid" Harry was interrupted by Ron, "You might want to watch out in that class." "Yeah, Hagrid is a good guy, he just loves.....different.......animals. Anyway, then there's charms with Flitwick, and History of Magic with Binns, now that class is fun."  
  
"Oh, yeah, Binns is just great, just keeps going and going and going." Explained Ron  
  
"He sounds like the Energizer Bunny" laughed Sarah.  
  
"Who?" questioned Ron.  
  
"The Energizer Bunny........no.....ok well energizer is a type of battery and it's supposed to last for a long time, and there is this toy bunny that uses them for power, never mind, I was living with muggles friends in America, well actually I left there and went to live with my parents in Africa, but they got scared and decided this was the safest place for me."  
  
"Scared of what?" asked Harry.  
  
"Well of Voldemort of course" said Sarah.  
  
"Hold on, so your parents are scared enough to send you away to keep you safe, yet you say his name, why is that?" asked Ron.  
  
"Because, you should always use the proper name for things. Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself." Explained Sarah like it was an obvious fact.  
  
All of a sudden something clicked in Harry's brain. He had heard that speech before, but from someone else.  
  
"Where did you hear that? I mean did you think it up on your own?"  
  
They had arrived had arrived at Dumbledore's office and were on their way up the moving staircase.  
  
"Oh, no, I didn't make that up. My" she was interrupted by a voice from inside the office.  
  
"Sarah is that you I hear?"  
  
As they got to the top of the staircase they saw Dumbledore standing with his hands behind his back.  
  
"Uncle Dumbledore!" Sarah exclaimed just before she ran over to him and gave him a hug, leaving a stunned Ron standing with Harry.  
  
"Uncle Dumbledore" said Ron.  
  
"Yes, Sarah here is the daughter of my half-sister" explained Dumbledore.  
  
They were all startled when they heard a loud pop.  
  
"Miss me" said Hermione as she stepped out of the fireplace.

* * *

"I still cannot believe that Dumbledore has a niece!" Said Hermione for the thousandth time.  
  
"I can't believe Dumbledore is still making you serve your detention" said Ron.  
  
They were sitting in the Gryffindor common room by the fire doing homework. They were sitting in calm silence until...  
  
"Oh no!" Hermione Squealed.  
  
"What?!?" Harry exclaimed.  
  
"I left my Ancient Ruins book in the library this afternoon, and I need it for my homework, now I have to go get it" said Hermione in an exasperated voice.  
  
As soon as she stepped out of the portrait hole Ron said "I swear, lately I wouldn't be surprised if she walked into class without her homework."   
  
Hermione got to the library and picked up her book, but on her way back she had to stop. She sat down on a step. She felt so tired. She knew her mind had been in a whole other world this past week, she had been forgetting things a lot, and to top it all off yesterday in charms she realized that professor Flitwick was looking at her expectantly, not only did she not know the answer to his question, she didn't even know what he had been saying.  
  
Never in her life had she been like this, when she was in her muggle school she had actually been ahead of the rest of the kids her age. At Hogwarts she had always been top of her class, what had happened?  
  
She just didn't care, but that was wrong, she cared that she didn't care.  
  
"Ah, Granger, dreaming of classes no doubt" said a voice from in front of her.  
  
Hermione looked up and said "leave me alone Malfoy, I'm upset and I don't feel like hitting you."  
  
"What's got you so upset; worried you're too far behind to catch up? Afraid they're going to kick you out?" Malfoy sneered with a smirk on his face.  
  
"Go away Malfoy!" Hermione said in a threatening tone.  
  
"Why? I have just as much right to be here as you do, I think I'll just have a seat." He sat down on the step next to her, as far away as he could.  
  
They sat in silence for a few minutes until Hermione couldn't take it anymore "Fine, I'm upset because my grandmother died recently, ok, are you happy now?" Malfoy sat with a strange look on his face for a minute then slowly he stood up and turned toward her.  
  
He paused as if to say something but decided against it and walk up the stairs, pausing on the step she was sitting on, Hermione wasn't sure but she thought she felt his hand graze her shoulder.

* * *

"Hermione I know you don't want to talk about it, but there is something bothering you, other than your grandma, Harry and Ron are worried and to tell you the truth we are too." Hermione had sat on the step for a long time thinking before she returned to the common room. When she had it had been almost empty, except for Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood.  
  
They had pulled her over to a chair and sat her down. Ginny then started to talk; Luna seemed content to just sit there. "Look we know you must be having a hard time, and we can't even begin to imagine what you're going through, but we want to help, and you won't let us" Ginny ranted.  
  
"I'm just very confused right now. I don't even really understand what's wrong" said Hermione. Which was the truth, she was very confused but she knew what she was confused about, on the stairs, she couldn't explain it but she had the feeling that Malfoy had been trying to console her in a way, the exact way she needed, actually being left alone.  
  
"We're your friends Hermione, and we want to help you, and that means we will listen to you if all you need is to talk." Said Luna, the way she was looking at her Hermione had the feeling she knew something had happened.  
  
"But that's the point! That's what everyone wants to do, talk to me! Talk, talk, talk, well I don't want to talk! I want to be left alone!" The few people in the common room looked over in their direction when Hermione shouted. When Hermione noticed this she continued "I'm sorry, I'm just tired, I'm going to go to bed, night."  
  
"Night Hermione" said Luna.  
  
As soon as she left Ginny looked at Luna and said "that girl has more on her mind than her grandma, I just wish I knew what."  
  
"If I know Hermione, which I don't claim to that well, but, she'll tell us when she's good and ready" commented Luna.

* * *

The next morning at breakfast Hermione got a letter form her parents:  
  
Dear Hermione,  
We do hope you're still doing well, we  
have decided to take a little trip over  
the Christmas holidays, won't that be  
fun? If you don't feel up to staying at  
school you can always come home,  
you know that don't you sweet heart.  
see you soon.  
  
Love,  
Mom and dad  
  
"Is it really almost Christmas? I didn't realize we had been at school that long" said Hermione.  
  
"Yeah, we're all going home, Bill and Charlie are coming in and we figured we would go celebrate Christmas with them, Harry's coming, you can too if you want" said Ron.  
  
"Thanks, but I think my parents are planning a trip, who knows where to. I might have to do that" Hermione informed him.  
  
"Well that should be fun. Going off some place, getting away" Ginny made this comment from across from them.

* * *

Their day went along smoothly for the most part, except for potions, but nothing ever went along smoothly in that class. Snape took fifty points from Gryffindor when Neville and Sarah, who seemed to be spending a lot of time together, added to many lacewings to their potion and it exploded, covering the walls, the ceiling, and the students.  
  
"Do not open your mouths, go wash this off before, the last thing I need is a bunch of sixth years telling the truth all day long" snapped Snape.  
  
Other than that however, everything was fine. In Transfiguration they were attempting to change a feather into an entire bird.  
  
"Very good Mr. Finnegan, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, would you see me after class please" said professor McGonagall.  
  
"Yes Professor" they all said.  
  
After class they waited for everyone to leave. Then they approached her desk.  
  
"Ah, yes, now as to the matter of your detentions, Mr. Weasley you will be helping Professor Trelawney in her classroom, Mr. Potter, you're to meet Mr. Filch in the entrance hall, and Miss Granger, You will be in the dungeons with Professor Snape. All of you should report to your detention spot at eight o'clock sharp, no later. That will be all, thank you."  
  
When they had left the class room Ron said "Great, Trelawney, I'll be polishing crystal balls and cleaning up tea leaves all night."  
  
"Hey at least you don't have to spend the night with Filch, who knows what he'll have me do."  
  
All Hermione said was "Snape."  
  
"Okay, you win Hermione you'll probably have the worst time, he'll probably have you clean the Veritaserum off the walls." Ron said in a pitying voice.

* * *

At ten till eight they all left the common room, Harry and Hermione walked together as Ron set off up the stairs.  
  
"Hermione, I know you're tired of hearing this, but Ron, Ginny, Luna, and I are worried about you. You're not acting like yourself. Are you sure you're okay?" asked Harry.  
  
Hermione would have been angry if it wasn't for the tone of his voice and the look on his face. He really was worried about her. "I'm fine but thanks for being concerned."  
  
When they reached the Entrance Hall Hermione gave Harry an 'I'm sorry' look and headed to the dungeon.  
  
"Ah, Miss Granger, good of you to join us, no we can get started. Start on opposite walls and work your way around" said Snape.  
  
Hermione froze; she just saw who she was serving her detention with. 


	6. Just what was needed

Malfoy picked up his water bucket and sponge, and walked to the wall behind Snape. Hermione began working in the opposite corner of the room. She had finished her first wall, Malfoy had almost finished, when it happened.  
  
"Professor, you're needed on the second floor, near the Transfiguration classroom." The Fat Friar had glided through the door and said this.  
  
"It will have to wait, as you can see I am supervising a detention."  
  
"Yes sir, but you are needed, the Headmaster sent me to get you, I saw it happen sir, and it is an emergency." He glided over and whispered something in Snape's ear, a look of utter shock appeared on Snape's face. He jumped to his feet and all but ran to the door, where he paused and looked at Hermione and Malfoy.  
  
"You are to stay here, I am going to lock the door behind me, and you won't be able to open it. Finish your cleaning and then sit quietly." And with that he closed the door and hurried away.  
  
"What was that all about?" Hermione asked.  
  
"All I caught was boy and birds, but at least we can stop cleaning" said Malfoy.  
  
"What are you talking about? Snape said to finish."  
  
"Oh come on, and everyone says you're the smartest girl in our class!" Malfoy waved his wand at the walls and the potion disappeared.  
  
"That's cheating."  
  
"Well I didn't get put in Slytherin for nothing." Malfoy said with a smirk as he sat down on a table.  
  
"How did you learn that spell?"  
  
"The servants use it all the time and they taught me." When he saw the questioning look on Hermione's face he added "I made them teach me, I thought might come in handy....... Mudblood."  
  
Hermione had to struggle not to laugh, she had never seen him look this uncomfortable before, and it was like he had just added the mudblood comment as an afterthought to seem tough. Other than that they were actually having a decent conversation, was he actually being nice?  
  
"Were you and your grandmother close?" Malfoy asked.  
  
"Yeah, she was very active. She would always go with me and my parents when we went out of town. I always went to her house at least five times every summer. She was a lot of fun."  
  
"Yeah, that's how it was with me and my grandma. I loved to spend time with her. When she died, I took a slightly different approach to the grieving than you."  
  
"What approach did you take exactly?"  
  
"I got angry, and very mean, more so than usual at least, remember at the Quidditch World Cup?"  
  
"Oh, when did it happen?"  
  
"One day before we left for the cup. My parents decided to go anyway."  
  
"How did you get over it? How did you get back to normal? Well...."  
  
"You don't, at least I didn't, I just realized that being angry wouldn't make a difference, wouldn't bring her back to life. I didn't have that power, I wish I did, but all I could do was be me, whoever that is."  
  
They sat quietly for a minute and Hermione was about to say something when the door opened and Snape walked in.  
  
"Come with me."  
  
Snape led them down a hallway. "Mr. Malfoy, please return to your common room and stay there. Miss Granger, follow me."  
  
Hermione followed Snape back up through the passageway to the Entrance Hall where Professor McGonagall was standing with Harry and Ron.  
  
"Thank you Severus. I will take them from here. Follow me please."  
  
Professor McGonagall led them upstairs to their common room.  
  
"What happened?" Ron asked "Nick came floating into the room and said there was some kind of emergency."  
  
"I don't know, filch had me cleaning the floors down here, then he stuffed me in a classroom when Professor McGonagall came running downstairs and pulled him away."  
  
"When the Fat Friar came in.....I....Heard him say something about a boy and birds." She couldn't explain why but she didn't want to tell them about Malfoy.

* * *

The school was buzzing the next day with rumors about what had happened the night before.  
  
"Did you hear, they say some kid got poisoned last night" reported Dean Thomas.  
  
"I heard it was a teacher" put in Colin Creevey.  
  
They were all seated at the Gryffindor table eating breakfast when the owls came swooping in. A large grey one landed in front of Harry and stuck out its leg. As soon as Harry untied the letter the owl took off. He unfolded it and read in a whisper so only Ron and Hermione could hear:  
  
Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, and Miss Granger,  
Your defense lesson scheduled for tonight is  
cancelled, we are making arrangements, please be  
patient.  
Albus Dumbledore  
  
"Great, now our lessons are cancelled. Now what are we supposed to do?" Harry asked, it was obvious that he was angry, Hermione attempted to console him "He didn't say they were cancelled, he just said they weren't happening tonight."  
  
"When are they going to happen then?" asked Harry.  
  
"Well, we'd better get to class. Don't want to be late" said Hermione.  
  
"What do we have first today?" Ron asked.  
  
"Herbology."  
  
"Fun."  
  
They got up and walked out of the Great Hall, as they passed the Slytherin table Hermione couldn't help but glance in Malfoy's direction. He was sitting there, laughing with his friends. She forced herself to look away. What was she doing? She couldn't like Draco Malfoy, look at who he was and what he stood for, everything she was supposed to be against. But when he wasn't being rude, he was actually somewhat nice to be around, oh, what was she thinking, she had had one civil conversation with him. She couldn't change her image of him over that.  
  
They could see Professor Sprout standing outside the green house. "Come on everyone, greenhouse five today, let's go, everyone inside, hurry up, don't want to be late."  
  
When they were all inside she closed the door and walked to the front of the class. "Ok, today we will be working with inocubolious inubatrum; can anyone tell me what they are?"  
  
Neville's hand shot in the air. "Yes, Mr. Longbottom."  
  
"They're a type of weed that lures its prey in, its mouth is hidden in the dirt around it and when its prey steps on it, the mouth opens and swallows them" said Neville in a surprisingly strong voice (Sarah was standing next to him smiling).  
  
"Excellent, ten points to Gryffindor, another ten if you can tell me what it eats."  
  
"Its preference is young Homo sapiens, especially muggles, it prefers the young because they have not yet been tainted with play and sun, the skin is still soft, plus they fit in its mouth."  
  
"Very good, take twenty points. Now, can anyone tell me what they are used for?"  
  
To everyone's surprise two hands shot in the air, Neville's and Hermione's.  
  
"Miss Granger"  
  
"They can be used for a number of things. Its most common use is a repellant. It stops other inocubolious inubatrum from growing, as well as many other weeds, but the poisonous stickers can be used in potions to create a death like sleep."  
  
"Very good indeed, another ten points to Gryffindor. Today we will be chopping up the tentacles, which have already been removed from the base, for a repellent, remember to keep your dragon hide gloves on at all times, they still have their poisonous stickers, I don't want anyone dying today."

* * *

As soon as they got out of class for lunch Hermione rushed up to the owlery to write a note to her parents:  
  
Dear mom and dad,  
I was kind of wondering if I could stay here  
over break. I need to catch up on my school  
work and my friends asked me to come and spend  
Christmas with them, I don't have to, I just  
thought it would give me a chance to catch up.  
Can I? Please write soon. Miss you.  
Love always,  
Hermione  
  
"Hey mudblood" said a cool voice from behind her.  
  
"Are you stalking me Malfoy?" asked Hermione as she tied her letter to the leg of a school owl and it flew out the window.  
  
"No, just came up here to send a letter, get a problem with that?" The tone of his voice was different, and the look in his eyes was too.  
  
Hermione started to walk out of the room but stopped at the door and turned around. He was tying his letter to his owl, "The other night, you said something, you said all you could do was be you again, whoever that is, what did you mean?"  
  
He walked over to stand in front of her "I meant that I had to act how I normally act around people, and I don't know which one of those personalities is the real me."  
  
"What do you mean, which one was the real you?"  
  
"Well, I act one way when I'm at school here, another way in front of my parents, and I acted another way in front of my grandma, and I don't know which one is real. The one where I was a happy kid, with my grandma, the one where I'm a scared kid, or the one where I do the scaring. Or the one that is having thoughts that you would not appreciate, I'm sure."  
  
Hermione was getting a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach that she had not felt before. But she knew what it was, and it all seemed right when he started to lean toward her. She understood the look in his eye now, and it wasn't unwelcome. He reached out with his hand. Time seemed to be moving very slowly right now. But then he turned the door knob and left the owlery, leaving a very confused Hermione behind him.  
  
What had just happened? It hadn't scared Hermione that she had been alone in a room with a boy, who was claiming to have very inappropriate thoughts about her, who had been about to kiss her, and it didn't bother her that he had left, what bothered her was that she actually wanted Draco Malfoy to kiss her.

* * *

What had just almost happened? Had he actually just admitted to having the thoughts he had had since their fourth year? Had he almost kissed Hermione Granger? What would have happened if he had?

* * *

note- thank you for reading, more on the way, please review, good or bad, they really help. 


	7. Dinner at the Astronomy Tower

WARNING!!!: if you are against taking God's name in vane, or saying God's name in any way, be warned that some one does do so.

WARNING!!!: this chapter contains some kissing, if you do not want to read this, then don't.

You may think that these warnings are silly, I know from experience that they are not.

* * *

The next five weeks passed in a kind of blur. Hermione knew that Malfoy was avoiding her, when they met in the hallways he wouldn't even make a snide remark, and he avoided her eyes. In class he was strangely silent, even Harry and Ron noticed this. Not that Hermione wasn't avoiding him; she was just being a little more discreet about it. she would suddenly become very busy when he was around. Hermione had gotten a response to her letter to her parents, saying that she didn't have to go with them. McGonagall came around asking who would be staying for Christmas, barely anyone signed up, just Luna, and secretly Hermione.  
  
She had told Ron and Harry she was going with her parents, she just wanted some time away, from everyone, to think. Dumbledore still hadn't said anything about their defense lessons, until one day at breakfast Professor McGonagall told them to go to Dumbledore's office during their lunch break, and so they did.  
  
"Finally, we're going to get some answers" said Harry, who had not been happy about the constant cancellations.  
  
When they got to Dumbledore's office they found him hunched over his desk writing something.  
  
"Ah, have a seat, please, I just need to finish this and I'll be right with you." Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione sat down in the chairs in front of his desk. When he finished what he was doing he looked up at them.  
  
"Yes, now, I know you all must be very anxious to start your defense training, however, they will not be starting until after the holidays. And they will not be taking place at night, you will come here instead of going to your Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Except for you Miss Weasley, you will not be coming here." at this point Ron burst out "But Professor she needs to know this stuff just as much as us, she" but Dumbledore put up his hand for silence. "Yes Mr. Weasley, I am quite aware of that, and I did not say that she would not be learning, I simply said she would not learn here. You all will be teaching her, after your classes are over, in your common room, understood, you're not to go wandering at night, understand?"  
  
"Yes Professor" they all said.  
  
"Alright, well that is all, I expect you are all hungry, so run along to lunch." As they all began walking away Dumbledore called out "Oh, Harry, might I have a word alone with you?"  
  
Dumbledore waited until the others had left before he spoke, "You, Harry, are not to go off at night; I know that I cannot stop you, but I strongly encourage you to do as I say. Do you know what happened the night of your detention?"  
  
"No sir, I've heard some rumors but I don't really believe them."  
  
"A boy was attacked by a pack of black birds Harry. He was in a group of six, he was the only one attacked by this very large pack of birds. He was the only one in the group who had black hair, and he had green eyes."

* * *

"So Dumbledore actually thinks they were sent to kill you?" Hermione was in shock at what Harry had just told them.  
  
"Well, that's what he implied, Voldemort can't even come try to kill me himself, he has to send some sort of creatures to do it for him."  
  
"So you defiantly think it was You-Know- oh fine, Voldemort?" Ginny still hadn't gotten used to saying the name, she still needed a glare from Harry every now and then.  
  
"Yeah, that's what Dumbledore said. But I guess we can't know for sure."  
  
"Well at least we get the after noon off to" Hermione was interrupted by Malfoy Knocking into her shoulder. "Watch where you're going mudblood, no I have to go change."  
  
"Look Malfoy" Harry began but Hermione stopped him "Who cares." Harry looked at Hermione for a second and then turned around and walked away, Ron hurrying after him. Ginny grabbed Hermione and pulled her into an empty classroom.  
  
"Ok, what is going on?" Ginny asked.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
"Oh yes you do, what was that out there? Don't think I haven't seen you, you're always glancing over at him, and now you tell Harry to leave him alone. Are you and Malfoy going out?"  
  
"What?! No, and I didn't tell Harry to leave him alone, I said who cares, Malfoy isn't worth it."  
  
"Ok, but, if there was, you know you could tell me right? I mean, you know you can trust me don't you."  
  
"Ok," Hermione set he bag down on a desk and sat down, "I ran into him in the hallway one night and he was some what civil, and then I had to serve my detention with him, and when Snape left us alone, we actually had a nice conversation. And then when I was in the owlery he..... we almost kissed; at least I think we almost kissed. All I know is that I wanted him to kiss me. I think I might like him, but I can't, I mean he's Draco Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy's son, and I'm one of Harry Potter's best friends."  
  
"Well, sometimes we have to forget about parents and friends, I mean really, just because his father is a murdering asswhole doesn't mean anything about him."  
  
"I guess, thanks Ginny, just do me a favor and don't tell Harry or Ron, they would freak out."  
  
"Got it."  
  
When Hermione picked up her bag it spilled out all over the floor. "Don't worry, go on to lunch, I'll be there in a minute."  
  
"Ok, if you're sure."  
  
As Hermione was picking up her books and putting them back in her bag she found a piece of paper she hadn't seen before. When she opened it she realized it was a note.  
  
I need to talk to you. Meet me at the astronomy tower  
before dinner tonight.  
  
How had he...? Of course she knew who had given it to her, but when had he slipped it in her bag? When he bumped into her? No, he couldn't have, could he? She continued to wonder as she finished cleaning up her bag and went into the Great Hall for lunch.  
  
"Hey, got everything?"  
  
"Yeah, thanks."  
  
Hermione walked around in a dazed the rest of the afternoon, should she go meet him? What could he want to talk to her about? It could be a joke, like the duel in their first year. But what if it wasn't?  
  
So when dinner time rolled around she set off for the Great Hall with Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Luna. When they walked into the doors her gaze immediately shot to the Slytherin table, he wasn't there.  
  
"Um, guys, I think I'm going to go to the library first, I wanted to look something up and I was going to wait till after dinner, but I think I'll try to do it before everyone's in there."  
  
"Oh, ok, see you later." Ginny said and dragged Harry and Ron to the table.  
  
Hermione hurried up to the astronomy tower, where she saw Malfoy waiting. He pulled her into a classroom and closed the door.  
  
"Why, why did you have to do it, huh?! Why couldn't you have just left it alone!?" He was all but screaming at her.  
  
"What are you talking about? I haven't done anything."  
  
"Yes you have, you were sitting there on those steps, you asked me what I meant, it's all your fault, you're the reason this is happening!"  
  
"What are you babbling about, and don't scream at me! If I have doe anything, I'm sorry, but look at who's talking, look at everything you've done over the years!"  
  
"No, no, no. That all pales in comparison." He was pacing in front f her but he stopped and looked at her when he made his next comment.  
  
"I can't get you out, you're always there. That's not how it used to be, just a few thoughts here and there when I saw you, now, ever since that day in the owlery, I don't even have to see you! All I have to do is be reminded of you, I see the color blue and I want to touch you. Why did you do it? Why did you ask me, if you had just left I could have gone on like normal! That would have been better for everyone, but no, you had to ask, and now you're driving me crazy!"  
  
He was standing close, too close, se tried to back up but she ran into a desk. Was he actually angry with her? He was such a jerk, blaming her for this, he was the one that, had he always been this tall? No! She couldn't think about his very solid male body moving closer to her, she had to concentrate, that look was back in his eye, well he couldn't just scream at her then kiss her, no way, God his eyes were blue.  
  
"So I just wanted to see you, to tell you that. So that you would know." What was he doing, he hadn't planned on doing this, but his body was just drawn forward, towards her.  
  
"So just stay away, alright."  
  
"Okay" it came out as a sigh. His hand had just slipped around her waist, and his other was on her neck, pulling her towards him as he leaned down. Her arms slid around his neck as their lips met. He pulled on her chin with his hand, urging her to open her mouth, and when she did so he deepened the kiss. His hands were on her hips now, pulling her tighter against him. All she could do was cling to him, she wasn't sure her legs would even work if she tried to stand. She could feel him against her, and realizing her affect on him made her bolder and she tentatively slid her tongue into his mouth. As soon as she did so he ripped away from her. He stood looking at her with wide eyes for a moment, his breathing very uneven, and then he turned around and hurriedly left the room.  
  
Hermione couldn't do anything but stand there for a few minutes trying to catch her breath. She had kissed Viktor, of course, but it had never been like that. Why had he run out like that? What had she done?

* * *

Note- ok so to clear up a few things in case you're a little confused, after he said "so I just wanted to see you to tell you that. So that you would know." Those are his thoughts, not hers. And when he deepened the kiss he did not use his tongue. Oh, and when she felt him against her, yes I meant he was aroused. 


	8. Never more to be alone

Ok, sorry it took so long. Though it wasn't 6 months so I'm doing better. I just wanted to say that the scenes with the Weasley family and Harry, they are at the "Safe House" which is basically just a house. Oh and I apologize for parts of the last scene of the chapter. It gets a little "Mushy" and it might suck, I didn't mean for it to be so, but it turned out that way, unfortunately mushy just isn't my bag baby. (Ha I love Austin Powers) and the quotes from the book, you'll understand, those are quotes that I actually found in a book from the library, pretty cool, I just love the Voltaire one. Anywho...umm.... more at the bottom, I just know I'll think of something else I want to say to you all my readers.

* * *

"Hermione has been acting really strange lately." Ron commented  
  
"I know, Ginny, do you have any idea what's going on with her?" Harry asked  
  
"No clue, I haven't really noticed anything strange."  
  
"Are you kidding me, she's been all wonky lately." Harry said  
  
Ginny giggled "Wonky?"  
  
"Oh, shut up, you know what I mean, one minute she'll be looking all......dreamy, and the next looking all nervous and guilty. And she's constantly searching her bag for someth....." Harry trailed off  
  
"What?" asked Ron  
  
Harry just sat there for a few seconds looking confused, then a look of realization came over his face "And then today she took one step into the hall and ran out again." Harry glanced over at the Slytherin table and it was like his worst fears had been realized. "No, she wouldn't do that."  
  
"What? What are you on about?" Ron was very confused, he obviously hadn't caught Harry's glance, but Ginny had and now she was looking nervous.  
  
"I think she's" Harry began but he was interrupted by Ginny "Lost something, very important, in fact Harry I wanted to talk to you about that, ALONE!" Ginny pulled Harry to his feet, and dragged him out of the Great Hall, leaving Ron staring after them.  
  
"What are you doing?.. You know something!! Has Hermione been seeing Malfoy?"  
  
Ginny looked exasperated "No! At least she wasn't this afternoon, and even if that had changed, it is none of your business. She's a big girl."  
  
"And he's DRACO MALFOY!!! LUCIUS MALFOY'S SON!!!!!!! you know Lucius Malfoy, Death Eater Extraordinaire, tried to kill me, tried to kill Sirius, best fiend of Voldemort, all around BASTARD!! And Draco is no better, look at what he's done this year alone!!"  
  
"Yeah, alright, I know all of that, but what if he's different?"  
  
"How different could he be?!" Harry was speaking so loudly now that Ginny had to shoo him into a corner.  
  
"Calm down, we can't always help who we have crushes on." She gave Harry a meaningfully stare. "And besides, sometimes it doesn't matter who the person is, or who their parents are, sometimes other people can't understand it, but all that matters is that they understand it. Hermione obviously sees something in Malfoy that we can't see, you should trust her judgment. She knows what she's doing." They were very close together, Harry seemed to realize this and stepped back.  
  
"I know, but why did it have to be him? Why couldn't it have been someone who wouldn't hurt her in the end?"  
  
"How do you know that, how do you know he's going to hurt her? Did you ever think that maybe, just maybe, he would be her match, and that they might end up together for the long run?"  
  
"It's Malfoy, he'll never be that way. He's going to break her heart, I just know it."  
  
"Well.. sometimes we can't choose who our hearts get broken by." Stood there for a moment looking at Harry, then she turned around and walked back into the Great Hall.

* * *

Harry didn't go back to the Great Hall, he went to the common room instead and sat in one of the chairs in front of the fire to think. When Hermione walked in she didn't see him, so she started walking up to her dormitory but his voice stopped her.  
  
"I don't understand it, why, why him??"  
  
"What?" Hermione asked as she crossed the room to sit across from him.  
  
"You know what, Malfoy! Why him? After everything he's done over the years, why.... do whatever you're doing?"  
  
"Well, I'm not doing anything; it's just that I've seen him a couple of times since I've been back and.... I don't know, he's been....... nice."  
  
"Well, I know all about liking someone you shouldn't, Cho, but, that turned out bad and I just want to make sure that you aren't just setting yourself up for a fall."  
  
"I'm not, trust me Harry, I know what I'm doing."  
  
"Yeah, that seems to be the resounding opinion around here. I just.... you know I love you Hermione, I mean a totally platonic love, you're like a sister to me, and I just don't want you hurt."  
  
She walked over and gave him a hug "I know, and I love you too, you and Ron."  
  
"Oh, hey, are you going to tell him about Malfoy?"  
  
"I don't even know if there is a Malfoy to tell about, but I guess so."  
  
"Don't! At least not yet, not until you're sure about this thing with Malfoy. I don't know if you'd noticed but I think Ron likes you. In more than just a platonic way."  
  
"Yeah, I guess you're right. Thanks Harry" she hugged him again and headed for her dormitory.  
  
"Oh and Hermione, if he hurts you, I'll kick his ass."  
  
She laughed "Thanks Harry" and with that she went up to bed.

* * *

"Aren't you coming on the train Hermione?" asked Ron.  
  
"Oh, no."  
  
"But, I thought you were going with your parents over break." Ron said  
  
"I am, but I'm leaving in a couple days, I wanted to talk to some of the teachers about what I missed."  
  
"Only you would want to do school work over Christmas break Hermione." Said Ron  
  
"Bye, see you after break." Hermione waved goodbye to the Weasley's and Harry as they left the castle.  
  
She went back up to Gryffindor tower where Luna, the only other Gryffindor to stay, was sitting reading a book. Hermione went up to her Dormitory to look for something to do. In the end she decided to go to the library and find something to read. But on her way there she got a little side tracked.  
  
As she was walking down a hallway she saw Draco coming towards her. He walked right past her without even looking her way. "Malfoy, wait, we need to talk."  
  
"No, we don't."  
  
"Yes, we do. What was the other day about?"  
  
"Nothing, ok, just leave it alone, leave me alone" he yelled and then turned around and walked away.  
  
What was that all about? Had it really been nothing to him? She was such an idiot! That's why he ran off, he was probably going to tell all hi friends what he'd gotten prissy little Granger to do.  
  
"Of course, that slimy little bastard!" she whispered to herself. And with that she walked straight back to the Gryffindor common room, completely forgetting about the library.

* * *

A few days passed and Hermione was still angry at Malfoy for doing that to her, but she was more angry with herself for not being able to stop thinking about him or that night.  
  
Christmas morning dawned bright and early. Hermione found a stack of gifts at the end of her bed, many with notes from her parents saying they were from relatives.  
  
She found one from Harry and one from Ron, a sweater from Mrs. Weasley, a bag of goodies from Fred and George (they were well on their way to opening up their own shop), the usual tin of treacle fudge from Hagrid, and one package that had no note. She opened it to find a small book of memorable quotes, two pages were marked. The first quote was made by Voltaire on his deathbed in response to a priest asking him to renounce the devil. "Now, now my good man, this is no time for making enemies." The second was by Arthur Schopenhauer "All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third it is accepted as being self evident." What in the world? Who sent this to her.

* * *

"Wow, thanks Mrs. Weasley." Said Harry  
  
"Oh, you're welcome dear. Where has Ginny gotten to?" said Mrs. Weasley.  
  
"I'll go look for her" Harry volunteered  
  
"Thank you Harry"  
  
They were sitting in the Weasley's house opening presents. Harry got up and walked upstairs to find Ginny, he found her in her room.  
  
"Ginny, can I come in?"  
  
"Oh, yeah, sure, come on in." she was sitting on her bed staring at the wall opposite her.  
  
"What are you doing? We're all downstairs having fun."  
  
"Just sitting up here thinking."  
  
"What about?"  
  
"Just strange things. If, and this is purely hypothetical, but if Hermione started to really like Malfoy and he started to really like her, would you be ok with that?"  
  
Harry crossed the room and sat down next to her on the bed. "I don't know, I mean I would be happy for Hermione, but it's Malfoy, and we can't really just forget everything he's done."  
  
"I think that it's a good thing."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Well, people need to get into stupid relationships sometimes, like Michael Corner, to realize other things, like how much you like some one else, or how much you don't like a person."  
  
"What did you realize?" he was looking right at her.  
  
"Me, I realized that I had been foolish in who I had crushes on."  
  
"Oh, so you've had a lot of crushes in your life?" this bothered him for some reason.  
  
"No, just one."

* * *

Hermione and Luna had a lot of fun Christmas day, they raced cushions and played cards and then they went down to dinner.  
  
Very few people had stayed for Christmas, Hermione and Luna, three Hufflepuff first years, and Draco Malfoy was the only Slytherin, and he was looking very uncomfortable. Not as uncomfortable as the Hufflepuff boy sitting next to him however, who kept casting suspicious glances at him, like he was expecting him to pull out his wand and curse him at any moment. He did look rather menacing, but also incredibly cute. NO! He didn't want to have anything to do with her, she couldn't go around thinking he was cute.  
  
The food was delicious. Hermione was having a small discussion with Luna when a first year girl spoke up.  
  
"Um, excuse me, I was just wondering, you're friends with Harry Potter aren't you?"  
  
"Yes, I am"  
  
"Ah yes, potter bravest boy alive don't you know!" said a sarcastic voice, it was Malfoy.  
  
"Well......um..." she cast a hesitant glance at Malfoy who was now listening intently to every word they were saying. "Well, I was wondering if.... Umm........is he umm..."  
  
"Oh out with it, come on, is he what?" Said Malfoy in exasperation.  
  
"Get out of this conversation Malfoy. Go ahead." Hermione said with a glance at Malfoy.  
  
"Um... is he.... Dating anyone?" she went bright red.  
  
"Ah, the truly important question, Potter romantic status."  
  
The girl jumped up and ran out of the hall.  
  
"Malfoy! You are such a bastard."  
  
"Whatever." He got up and walked out of the hall.  
  
"God I hate him!"  
  
"But what a dream boat!" Luna said  
  
"What!?!"  
  
"Well, that is what you were thinking isn't it??"  
  
"I... I'm going to go to bed." She got up and walk out of the Great Hall, but when she got to the Entrance Hall she stopped dead. She saw Malfoy, with his back to her, talking to the Hufflepuff girl.  
  
"Do you even know who you were talking to? That was Hermione Granger; she's like the smartest student in this whole school! Potter may be good at some things, but he is certainly not better than everyone at everything! Got it?"  
  
"Well... he's still better than you at everything!" she hurried off before he could say anything else to her.  
  
"Do you really think that?" Hermione asked  
  
"What! Hermione! How long have you been standing there?"  
  
"Just long enough to hear you say you think I'm smarter than you."  
  
"Oh, well....." they heard more people coming out of the Great Hall. "Come here." he grabbed her hand and pulled her down toward the dungeon passage ways. "Snakeblood" he said and the wall opened and he pulled her inside. They were standing in the middle of the Slytherin Common room.  
  
"Come over here, sit down, I need to talk to you."  
  
"Wait a minute, I say we need to talk and you tell me to piss off, but you say you need to talk to me and I'm supposed to listen. Why should I?"  
  
"What did you think of the book?"  
  
"That was from you?"  
  
"Yeah, it's the only way I could think of to explain. That quote about the three stages, that's what happened."  
  
"What are you talking about?!"  
  
"The other day, that was the second stage, it is violently opposed, now, I'm at stage three, and I've accepted it as self evident."  
  
"Accepted what as self evident?"  
  
"This, us."  
  
"What us?"  
  
"I don't know!' he sounded defeated. "Look Hermione I'm not some lovesick puppy, ok? I never say the right thing, and I'm not all sweet and cute and cuddly, God knows I'm not lovable, hell, I'm not even really likable. To tell you the truth I'm a stubborn bastard that no one wants to be around. Crabbe and Goyle wouldn't even hang out with me if their Fathers weren't making them. And I'm definitely not smart, like you, and we would never have anything to talk about, but I don't want to let this go. I've kissed plenty of girls, maids, Slytherins, Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, even a Gryffindor, well two including you. But I always felt..... bored. But when we kissed........ I ........ I didn't feel bored, let's just leave it at that. I just wanted to know if there was the slightest chance that you felt something too. And now that I have proven my earlier point that I never say the right thing I'm going to shut up and let you talk now."  
  
Hermione couldn't do anything but sit there and stare at him. She could see his vulnerability, and knew he had said what was in his heart. She had the feeling he had never done that before, with anybody. His words cut to her heart. He didn't think he was loveable. This boy that she had always thought was arrogant, and selfish, and completely sure of himself had the lowest self esteem she had ever seen. She walked forward until she was right in front of him; she put her hand on his cheek and stared into his eyes." I want to be around you."  
  
He hugged her to him, her head was resting on his shoulder when she heard his next comment, "I'm not going to be chasing you around with flowers or anything."  
  
Hermione pulled back and laughed, "I wouldn't want you to."  
  
He leaned down and kissed her. "You'd better go; I am only human after all."

* * *

EIGHT CHAPTERS BABY WOOHOO!! Ok, so finally I have finished the next chapter. And you see Malfoy got a little weird, but had to be done. Sorry I have another whole chapter almost, just gotta top it off with a fun Harry- Ginny scene, or maybe fun Hermione-Malfoy scene, either way they will both get written in somewhere. And I'm sorry, I might, repeat might, not be able to update rapidly, I actually have a job now so I can afford my car and a personally life, YAY!! So, anything else, ooohhh... ok so I must recommend something to you all, and if you have looked up FinalFantasyGoddess then you might already have done this, but I suggest you read Alice 19th. It's a manga, it's awesome # 6 comes out next month!! Juvenile Orion, Eerie Queerie, Mars, and Inuyasha are awesome too, got to love sexy sesshy!! Anyway, ok well I'm sorry if there are some grammar mistakes or misspellings, I was speed typing, like 30 words per second to finish this chapter and my computer does weird spell check crud, so yeah I am going to take a leaf out of Malfoy's book and shut up now.


	9. learning the truth

Ok, sorry for the long wait, things have been crazy!! Ok so I'll not say anything more up here, look to the bottom for more talking.

* * *

Hermione and Malfoy didn't get to spend much time together, Luna was always following Hermione around, and they had decided to keep their relationship a secret, for now. But there were moments when she could sneak away into an empty classroom or such. One such night she and Malfoy went to the Slytherin common room.

"Tell me about your family" Malfoy urged

He was sitting at one end of the couch with his back against the arm; one foot was on the floor while his other leg was bent up against the back of the couch. Hermione sat between his legs with her feet stretched out in front of her. Her back was against his chest and the back of her head was resting against his shoulder.

As she told him about her loving family Draco felt content, he'd never really felt that way without utter disappointment following it. When he was little his father tried to teach him many things, such as the fact that women were inferior, and should be beaten for it. He also found it pertinent to show Draco the correct way to beat someone and not leave bruises; his father had loved to demonstrate his methods on his mother. When Draco had refused to join in on the practices his father began to beat him as well. His only happy memories were visiting his grandmother; his father's mother had also been beaten by her husband, but she was strong-willed and had out lived him. She was stubborn and had refused to allow her husband to break her, she knew what her son was doing, but she could do nothing, except to rescue Draco for a few short months every year. During that time she taught him to be strong, not to let his father make him feel worthless. He saw Hogwarts as his saving grace, he barely ever went home, he would spend Christmas with his grandmother, and most of the summer vacation. He was too young to realize that his mother had abandoned him; she never tried to stop her husband from beating her 9 year old son. He often worried about her, all alone, without a safe haven, but his grandmother would reassure him, telling him that she was a big girl and could handle herself. When he was 14, however, he was plunged back into hell. His grandmother died, and he felt like his world was crumbling. The only person he had ever loved was gone, along with his safety net. He wasn't even allowed to go to her funeral; he was forced to go to the Quidditch World Cup.

"My cousin, Janet, she was my best friend growing up, I didn't socialize much at school, it's not like the 16 year old high school kids really wanted to hang out with a 10 year old book worm anyway."

"How many grades did you skip exactly?"

"5, I was supposed to be in fifth grade, but I jumped to tenth."

"My God Hermione, you're like a genius."

"Not really, I've just always really liked to study, for some reason, I was really good at it, I loved school work, and math science history."She laughed"Tell me about your family."

"I never really talked to my family, just my grandma. She was great, she fit that whole stereotype too, she loved to bake cookies, she even had one of those signs in the kitchen that said 'home is where the heart is', she never yelled and she spoiled me whenever she could."

She could tell from his voice that he loved her very much. She wanted him to talk about her like that. Why? Did she want him to love her? No, why would she want that? Did she love him? No, no that was impossible, not after two weeks!

"My mother was…. different, I think she was sweet and loving, I don't really remember, for years I barely saw her, and when I did most of the time she was, disconnected, it was almost like she was just a shell. When I was little it kind of scared me, but as I got older I began to understand." He was quiet for a long time.

"What about your father?"

"He was……." what could he say. He decided the truth was the easiest "warped. He has serious issues, it sounds terrible, but I'm glad he's gone, you can't really understand until you've been there." The sadness in his voice broke her heart.

"What did he do?"

"He…………… Wow, you'd better go, Luna will be wondering where you are."

She knew he was trying to get her to drop it, and she decided to accommodate him , when he wanted her to know, he'd tell her.

She stood up, so did he. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. He leaned down and kissed her, quick and impersonal. When he looked at her he felt the overwhelming need to kiss her again, so he did, this time the kiss was very personal. She wanted him to keep kissing her like this forever.

He wanted to keep kissing her like this forever; that thought got him to stop. It was then that he realized where they were.

Hermione was trying to figure out how it was that he had ended up on top of her on the couch, but she couldn't seem to hold on to a single thought.

"You need to go, now" he knew it was a ridiculous thing to say, how could she when he was laying on top of her, but he couldn't seem to make himself move.

She should leave, but there were two obstacles, one, he was on top of her, two, she didn't want to.

After a few minute of just laying there he stood up and helped her to her feet. When she left she went to her dormitory, crawled into to bed and dreamt of him, he went to tale a shower.

* * *

"Woh, nice one Ron, I bet that was 60 feet."

"Bet I could throw one 100!"

Harry, Ron, Bill, and Charlie were de-gnoming the garden. But Harry wasn't really paying attention, he was stilling trying to figure out how he felt about what Ginny had said on Christmas day up in her room. He didn't understand why it bothered him so to think about Ginny liking other guys, and he didn't understand why he kept glancing up at her bedroom window. He didn't even know if she had been talking about him or some other person. Now once again he was back to the anger he felt over some other person with Ginny. He was just feeling protective of her because she was his best friend's kid sister, right? She wasn't so much a kid anymore though; she was 15 now, and….. his thoughts were distracted when he looked up at her window again; he saw the curtains swish closed suddenly. She had been standing there, watching him. No, he qualified; she was probably just looking out to see ho the de-gnoming was going.

God she hoped he hadn't seen her. It was bad enough that she had practically told him she loved him yesterday, but for him to catch her watching him. But she did love him. She had developed a rush on him the moment she met him when she was 10 years old, who wouldn't, and then in her first year he saved her life. That's what she had written it off as, hero worship. But when she started to grow up and look at boys in a different way she didn't just notice the fact that he had stood up to Voldemort numerous times, she also started to notice how kind he was, how he reacted when certain things made him feel uncomfortable. But she had fooled herself into thinking she just wanted a boyfriend, and Harry was one of the few boys she saw on a regular basis that she wasn't related to, so she naturally thought f him. But not anymore, the entire time she ad been dating Michael she had compared him to Harry, when he made a joke she said that Harry was funnier, when he held her hand she told herself that Harry's hands were softer (that had led to interesting thoughts), when he kissed her she wondered how it would feel if Harry kissed her. Now in her fifth year at Hogwarts, she knew that she loved him, and she hated it, he was too dense to realize it, and even if he did, he'd probably take off running. Well, at least they were going back to Hogwarts tomorrow, and then she could avoid him, without seeming obvious.

* * *

Ok, so. I apologize for the mushy stuff. I cut back on the kissing scene between Hermione and Draco, but it has come to my attention in the past few moments (friends are great) that I should have kept it full, no matter how stupid, so I shall put the original here for you now:

"This time the kiss was very personal, she opened her mouth and his tongue slid inside, tasting her, she never wanted him to stop, she wanted him to keep kissing her like this forever.

Her tongue was rubbing against his own and he wanted more, that thought jarred him out of his stupor. He pulled his mouth away and only then realized where they were."

So anywho, ok sorry for the long wait, but this fic probably won't be finished for a while, it is going to encompass three books, just letting you know. Ok, so now I shall go ad diligently type more for all of you people reading this right now.

P.S. school sucks, but mostly science.


	10. I Will Fly You To The Moon and Back

Wow, beware, A it is long, B it is all about Hermione and Draco, C it includes some sexual content and dialog, and D there is reference to the big G, sorry, enjoy!

hdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhd

The rest of the school would be returning in two days time. Two more days, that was all she had left before Draco and herself had to return to hiding away.

Luna no knew about their relationship, having walked in on them in the middle of… a very personal moment. She had walked into the common room to find Hermione and Malfoy snogging like there was no tomorrow, which for them there technically wasn't.

The interesting thing was that she just smiled at them then walked up to her dormitory. Draco had left immediately and Hermione had gone up to talk to Luna.

Luna had promised not to tell anyone about their relationship. Still, Hermione already felt bad for keeping it a secret from Ron, and he wasn't even back yet. She knew she would tell Ginny, as soon as she could, and Harry would pick it up in no time, but Ron wasn't as quick in these matters. In fact he could be downright dense sometimes.

So should she tell him or not? This was the question that she was pondering as she made her way down to the lake. Draco had told her that he had a surprise for her and she had to meet him on the edge of the lake at quarter to nine.

When she got there he was nowhere around. She stood there shivering from the cold January air wondering what had kept him.

It wasn't long before she found out why she couldn't see him. He was flying above her head on his broomstick! She just looked up at him and stared.

He landed on the ground next to her, grabbed her arm and pulled her to him for a quick kiss them leaned back and told her to get on.

"What? You want me to get on that thing? You do realize that is a small piece of wood and that it will break from the sheer weight of both of us on it don't you."

"If you'd prefer we could go back to my room and I could show you another piece of-"

"No thank on that account either! I am not getting on that thing."

"It's perfectly safe."

"It will break."

"No it won't, I know this for a fact."

"Oh, so you do this with girls often do you?" she asked her voice taunting.

"No, don't think you can unnerve me that easily little missy. Have you seen Crabbe and Goyle? They ride these things all the time, and you, Hermione are much, much lighter than they are."

"Oh, so you are now trying to get me on that deathtrap by sweet talking me?"

"I would never coax you to your death with honeyed words, I swear. It is perfectly safe, trust me."

Those were the words she couldn't refuse, though she still wasn't completely sure why, she did trust him, maybe more than she should. With a grimace she climbed onto the broom in front of Draco and closed her eyes.

When he kicked of the ground she sucked in a big gulp of air and didn't let it out. He laughed behind her, which threw her off balance and she felt like she was about to fall. She let out a soft yelp and opened her eyes, just as she released the broom and started to slip sideways. He caught her with speed and ease, he simply put his arm around her waist and anchored her to him.

"Do you see what I mean? This thing is trying to kill me!"

"Well, honey, you have to admit the probability of your falling off of a broom goes up when you stop holding on."

"Oh, so now that was my fault, you laughed and nearly threw me from this thing!"

"No sweetheart, you had your eyes closed and you imagined that you slipped."

"That last time I didn't imagine it!"

"No, but I caught you. I would never let you fall, it would be too much of a hassle to explain."

"Oh, I feel so loved! You won't protect me cause you like me, just cause you don't want Dumbledore's wrath."

"Ok, mental note, do not joke around with Hermione when she is nervous for her life."

"That's a good rule to live by for anyone."

"Not me, I will make joke to the very end. Now come on, just look around you. You have to admit, this is pretty cool, how many guys would literally fly you to the moon?"

"Hmm…" she paused pretending to think just to urk him. "Well, there was Viktor, you know as in Krum, the world famous seeker."

"I thought we decided you would never utter that dandy's name in my presence."

"Oh, trust me he wasn't a dandy. Far from it in fact." Then just to get on his nerves, "He may have even been a better kisser than you."

Draco made a disbelieving sound behind her. She smiled to herself, thinking that she had won. Then she noticed they were descending, at a very rapid pace. They soared towards a group of trees, where Draco landed.

He glided the broom easily through the canopy of green and landed them on the soft forest floor. He climbed off the broom and pulled her with him.

"So, you want to play that game huh?"

She squealed as she backed away from his advance. "Maybe."

"Do you really still think he was a better kisser?"

"Maybe"

She backed right into a tree. He didn't stop though, he kept right on coming, until her chest was pressed right up against his and she had to tilt her head back to see his face properly.

"Are you certain he was a better kisser?"

She could do nothing but stare at him as his lips moved towards hers. She felt the sudden urge to press against him, but she was already practically plastered to him. When he was a breath away from her he stopped and whispered into her mouth.

"Because I really doubt he could make you feel like this."

Her she sighed and as soon as her mouth was open he swooped. He pressed his mouth to hers in complete possession. His tongue rubbed her lips until she moaned from the need for more, and he willing gave it to her.

She clung to his shoulders as his tongue invaded her mouth. He was right, Viktor had tried to kiss her like this, but she hadn't liked it. In fact she had been somewhat sickened by the thought of someone else's tongue, their saliva, inside her mouth. And she had always ended up, somehow, drooling all over herself, because it had just gone on and on with out a break. But this, with Draco, it was different, he was a better kisser.

Her thoughts were jumbling but she held on to that fact, this boy could definitely kiss. The things he made her feel, they were so new to her, she had never experienced anything like them. Like right now, she was wedged between an incredibly rough tree trunk and an incredibly hard, in more ways than one, boy. She should be very uncomfortable, but she wasn't. She felt something cold against her stomach.

How had he untucked her shirt without her knowing it? His hand was moving upwards and she knew that she should stop him, pull away, but instead she found herself arching into his touch. She wanted his hands on her.

He knew he should stop. But his hand had somehow, without his full comprehension, ended up under her shirt. The minute he felt her soft skin on his palm he forgot what he had been thinking. God she felt good, he moved his hand up; he needed to feel her. When his hand found her cloth covered breast she moaned low in her throat and rubbed herself against him. His knees almost buckled.

She loved the feeling of his hand through her bra, but she wanted more, she wanted to feel him on her skin, she arched into his palm, sending him a silent message of what she wanted. He took the hint. As soon as he had moved the fabric aside and his cool hand came in contact with her sensitive skin she whimpered into his mouth.

He laughed at her reaction and pulled his head away to trail kissed down her jaw, to her neck, and then finally he let his mouth replace his hand. He licked her breast in slow circles until she made a sound of impatience, then he took her nipple into his mouth. She let out a sound that made his erection throb. He wanted her to touch him, he wanted to touch her, and he wanted to be inside her. His thoughts were talking a turn in the wrong direction, he had only meant to show her he was superior to that no account jackass who was her _ex_-boyfriend. Now he was debating where the best place would be to lay her down and have his way with her. He had to stop this, now, before things got more out of hand than they already were.

When he pulled back from her Hermione felt cold and alone. Her shirt was still up around her chest and her left breast was still exposed, but she couldn't even stop leaning against the tree, let alone right her clothing.

"For God's sake Hermione, cover yourself up before I come back over there and finish what we just started."

She heard his words but still was in such a daze she couldn't move. So her took matters into his own hands. He marched over to her and pulled her bra back over her breast and then pulled her shirt down. His hand caressed the side of her breast as he righted her shirt, and a jolt of pure desire went through her. She snapped right out of her stupor and realized exactly what they had just done and what she had wanted to do next.

"I think we should go back now." Draco said though his voice sounded harsh.

"What's wrong Draco, is something the matter?"

"If you really need to ask then I suppose I was right and Krum really was a dandy, cause he sure as hell didn't react to you this way."

"Oh, umm.."

"Don't worry, your virtue is safe, I just need to get you home before I forget that I have morals. And stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you want to come over here and pounce on me, it isn't helping things one bit."

"Well, excuse me, I had no idea that I was looking at you in a strange way, so you can stop jumping down my throat just because you need to take a cold shower."

He moved to stand right in front of her "Sweetie, I'm not he only one who needs to take a cold shower, I didn't imagine those sexy little noises you were making a minute ago. You wanted me just as much as I want you." With that he kissed her again.

It didn't last long however. He walked over to his broom and climbed on. "Come on, get on."

Hermione walked over and threw her leg over the broom in front of him. He put his arm around her waist and pulled her hard against him, then kicked off from the ground. He flew them back to the castle and landed on the top of the astronomy tower. They walked in silence back to the portrait hole.

The fat lady was asleep in her frame so Hermione was careful not to wake her when she turned to talk to Malfoy.

"Draco, I-"

"Don't. Don't say anything, because I know you and whatever it is will probably make me take you through that portrait hole and do everything to you that I have been dreaming about since fourth year. So just, don't alright. I'll see you tomorrow." He kissed her gently on the lips and walked away.

She watched him go, and for some reason she felt sad. She actually wanted him to stay! That thought jarred her more than anything else had tonight, but even worse than that was the reason. "I'm falling in love with him."

How could that be, she had only just started dating him. She had spent more time hating him than liking him at thins point, how could she already be in love with him. But the truth was right there in front of her eyes, she was in love with Draco Malfoy. How and when could this have happened. She stood there staring after him for a few more minutes before she turned and woke up the fat lady who mumbled something about Sir Cadogan I do declare before she swung forward to let Hermione into the common room. She went up to her dormitory and laid down on her bed. But try as she might, she didn't get much sleep that night as she thought about Draco and how she felt about him.

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Ok, so there you have it, the next chapter! Yay! I finally did it! I know that it isn't that great and I am sorry for that, but it is 3 in the morning and I think it is pretty good, considering I didn't mean to write a love scene and wasn't really in the mood to be doing so. Anyway. As I look back on my writing I see how I've evolved and I find myself wishing I could go back and fix some of the things I have already written. If I am not mistaken I began this in my freshmen year of high school, though I could be nuts there, no, I think it was the middle of my sophomore year.. yeah, that would have been 10 of 03, and now look, it is my freshmen year of college and I am still going on the first story, though I have a renewed fire beneath my ass and I do believe that I will be writing more, though that is what I have said over and over again. But I will try, and I have this bright and shiny new chapter to show for the molding fires of Rivendell.. I don't even know where that came from. Ok, I am stopping now, but look.. a new chapter!


	11. The Touch of You Hand

"Ginny? Are you in here?" Ron asked as he slowly opened her bedroom door.

"Yes, but you would soon find that out since you didn't even knock!"

"Ok, sorry, I just wanted to talk to you. You seem a little depressed lately. Is there something bothering you?"

"Yeah, sort of, but, no offense Ron, it isn't really a big brother solvable problem. It's more of a deal with on your own, with extensive advice from girlfriends, kind of thing."

"Oh, one of those problems, I will pretend to be competent in that area. But if there was something on your mind, that you needed to talk about, I'm always here, you know that right?"

"Yeah, thanks Ron, I know, and if this was any other worry I probably would confide in you, but, I can't."

"Ok, but I am here, unless it has something to do with guys, like kissing or any of those things because, just be for warned, if you ever come to me with a problem there, I might go and rip the boys tongue out. WHOEVER it is." He smiled at her.

She laughed and hugged him. "I love you Ron. And you know that goes both ways, if you ever need help I'm here too, especially with girls. I think that should be a rule, from now on, if you like a girl you hand it over to me and I will take care of it for you."

"Hey! I'm not completely hopeless. It just, takes me a little while to get up the nerve to really go for it. Especially if I really like someone."

"Is there someone you really like right now?" she asked, dreading the answer.

"Well, yeah, actually.."

"Who?" though she already knew the answer, half of the school already knew the answer.

"It's…. You can't tell anyone! Hermione." He said and held his breath for the shock wave to hit her. It never did. "Well, I just told you that I like Hermione and you are calmly sitting there like you've.." Realization dawned. "You.."

"Yeah, I kind of suspected."

"How?"

"Well, Ron, I am your sister, and do live in the same house as you. It's not like I can't here you up there in your room."

"You can here me?" Ron asked looking terrified.

"Yeah, Ron, I think everyone has heard you."

"Everyone? As in, Mom and Dad too everyone?"

"Uh-huh. It's not like you keep your voice down when your up there talking to yourself.. or her I mean, I like the scene where you ride up on the horse and pull her into your lap as you pass her house."

"Oh, you heard.." Ron looked a little relieved, but still a bit embarrassed. "You heard that did you? And.."

"And the one where you're some kind of government agent who has to protect her from a serial killer, thereby throwing you into a series of private moments, yeah, heard them all, and can you say hero complex."

He turned ten shades of pink and sat down on her bed. Why had he been so loud. Because he had assumed that no one would be eaves dropping on him. But now that he thought about it he had never checked for any of Fred and George's extendable ears, or anything like that. Why would he have thought of that? Why wouldn't he, with brothers like them?

"So, you heard me, and now everyone knows." A sudden thought occurred to him, "You don't think Hermione knows do you?"

"I don't know, but I'm pretty sure Harry does. I'm not going to lie to you, there is a very good chance she does know, even if she hadn't heard your late night matinee you aren't that discreet in everyday life."

Ron looked downcast. "So, you think she knows… Do you think she feels the same way?"

Ginny looked uncomfortable. "I don't know, I can't always tell what she's feeling." Which was a complete lie. Hermione was one of the few people she could read like a book. Maybe it was because she liked them so much. Ginny had learned from living with six brothers that you had to hide certain things if you wanted to live in peace.

"So, if I asked her out, do you think she'd say yes, I mean I've been kind of scared she would reject me so I didn't want to do it. But if she already knows how I feel, then is there a real point in not going out on that ledge. I mean she isn't going out with Krum anymore. She might even say yes. What do you think?"

He looked so hopeful she didn't know what to say to try to dissuade him. She couldn't tell him that she had the sneaking suspicion that Hermione and Malfoy were now dating, it would kill him. Literally, he would probably die of pain and anger.

"I think.." she searched for something, anything to convince him to put off the inevitable, "I don't think she really wants to get into anything right now, I mean, she just went through the whole thing with her grandmother and she probably just wants to be on her own for a while."

"I guess you're right, she probably needs time. She did seem pretty broken up by her grandma's death. Maybe I should wait. Yeah, she needs some time to deal with that stuff. I should wait."

Ginny gave a mental sigh of relief. She did not want to be the one to break it to her older, very sensitive, brother that the girl he liked was dating his worst enemy. The boy who had insulted their family, Harry, and Hermione so many times it was impossible to keep track. It took a girl to understand certain things. Or a boy who was very sweet and loving, who cared more about the feeling of his friends than his own personal vendettas.

"Ginny, you ok?" Ron asked

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Well, you just got this far off look in your eye, and you sighed, it was kind of creepy."

"Oh, sorry, I was just thinking of someone."

"Anyone I know." Ron asked with a hopeful look in his eye. Her brother was incredible open with his emotions and thoughts.

"I don't know, maybe."

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All through dinner Hermione was incredibly nervous. She couldn't stop thinking about what she was going to do that night. The rest of the school would be returning tomorrow and she wanted to spend tonight with Draco.

Draco knew something was up. Every time he glanced in Hermione's direction she was fidgeting in her seat and whenever he would catch her looking at him she would quickly look away, as if embarrassed to be caught watching him. What was going on inside her head? Normally he could tell, but tonight, he had no idea.

Hermione was having a very difficult time concentrating on what Luna was saying to her. She kept glancing over at Malfoy, he was staring at her. The look in his eyes was very sexy. She had to stop thinking about him! Luna was saying something about eggplant and it being able to cure cancer.

"I mean really, all these muggle and wizarding doctors need to do is shovel eggplant down the throats of these cancer patients by the truck load and they would live. I mean, sure, the guys might lose their genitalia but women have almost nothing to worry about, there's just that pesky loss of eyesight. But that clears up within a year or two… usually."

"Yeah," Hermione said without really hearing, "They must be crazy to have not thought of that."

"That's what my dad says! You two have a lot on common you know. He always says that these muggle doctors especially need to get back to their roots. There are so many cures for all these diseases they claim are untreatable. He says muggles are stubborn though, and that we should give them a taste of their own medicine, you know, burn a few at the stake, see how they like it."

"Yeah, that's a great idea, wait, what!" Hermione said as she finally comprehended what Luna had just said.

"Nice of you to join the conversation. What is on your mind that has you so preoccupied? Could It be a certain boy we both know who has blond hair and long legs?"

Hermione blushed, "I wasn't being that obvious was I?"

"Honey, the sexual tension in this room between just the two of you is smothering me."

"Wow, I guess it is obvious then. I just.. I don't know."

"You love him, don't you?"

"How did you-"

"Hermione, just because I don't see, like your average girl does not mean I am lacking in any of the perceptive arts unique to those of the female persuasion. It's written all over your face."

"Oh God, it is. Do you think anyone else will notice?"

"Like, Harry?"

"Harry already has an idea that I like Malfoy and he's sort of ok with it, but…"

"Ron."

Hermione's face fell, "Yeah, I don't know how to tell him that me and Malfoy are.. me and Malfoy."

"Especially since he's in love with you." Luna said to Hermione's great surprise.

"What! He is not in love with me. Sure he likes me, a little, but that's all there is to it, nothing more!"

"Sure," Luna said in a voice that was uncharacteristic of her "And Gilderoy Lockhart is a real hero!"

"He does not-"

"Hermione, he does, it is impossible to ignore the fact that Ronald Weasley is in love with you, you may not know it, he may not even know it, but it is there, pure and simple. He loves you and you will have to deal with that someday, even if this whole Malfoy thing doesn't work out."

Somewhere, deep down, Hermione knew this. She knew that she had to face that. It was one of the things that scared her most about everyone returning. Harry would figure it out, he wasn't stupid. Neither was Ron though, except he wouldn't be looking for what was going on like Harry would. Actually he would probably ignore the whole thing, just like he always did.

"I know, I just.. I won't think about that now, I can't, I can't let it ruin my last peaceful night with Draco."

"I understand that."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean exactly what you think I mean, that boy is incredibly edible and I wouldn't want anything to ruin a night with him either."

"Luna Lovegood, I cannot believe you would say something like that."

"Yeah, well, there are a lot of different sides to me that people don't always get to see. Hormonal teenager just comes with puberty though."

"I.. You.. We're not…" Hermione stuttered just staring at the girl sitting next to her.

"Don't worry, secret still safe with me."

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She had left the feast a half hour ago and stood waiting, hidden outside the doors to the great hall. Draco still had not come out, and she was beginning to wonder if he hadn't forgotten she asked him to meet her out here and gone back to his common room.

The doors finally opened, but it wasn't Draco that came out, it was the Hufflepuff first years, who always seemed to go everywhere with each other. She could hear them from where she was and was vastly amused by their topic of conversation.

"He's just so cute!"

"I know! And that hair, it's so messy, it's so hot!"

"Plus, you know that he stood up to you-know-who, and like, totally won!"

"I know, I wish he would notice me."

"Yeah, he's such a dream, I hope I see him in the hallway going to Herbology again this semester. It was like, my favorite moment of the week."

"No way, I saw him on my way to Defense and on my way to History of magic, I can't tell you how cute he was, walking with his friends, talking about whatever it was they were talking about."

"I know, everyday. It's the same thing, he is always with those two people and they are always talking. I wonder what they talk about? Do you think it's the same kind of stuff we talk about?"

"No way! He's so much more mature than we are, I bet they talk about really mature things. Like the Middle East!"

"France does have a lot of problems!"

Their voices were swallowed by the hallway and Hermione heard no more. That was alright though, she had heard enough to keep her Ron and Harry laughing for about a month straight.

"You, know it's not nice to eavesdrop." Came a cool voice very close to her ear.

She turned around to find Malfoy standing behind her. She was suddenly very nervous and wasn't quite sure how she wanted to say what she had planned.

"Draco, I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Alright, but first, come with me, I have something I wanted to show you." He grabbed her hand a started leading her towards the dungeons, right into the Slytherin common room. "I made it for you."

She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Actually she didn't know what it was she was seeing. On the couch in the middle of the room was what looked like a long, tangled piece of leather.

"What is it?"

"It's a harness, see," He picked it up and she saw that it was actually two leather hoops lashed together in the center. "This part goes around your waist." He put the first hoop over her head and tightened it then stepped around behind her and began to fiddle with it. "Then this part goes around mine, and there you have it, no more fear of falling off the broom without my going with you. I'll always be there to break your fall."

She turned to face him, having to tilt her head back to see him since the strap wouldn't let her move away. "I thought you told me you never said the right things."

"I don't."

"So why does it seem that everything you say and do makes me all weak and mushy?"

"Weak and mushy?" he asked with a laugh

"Oh, shut up. You know what I mean. You keep doing these things that make me think your almost perfect."

"Almost?"

"Well, you did call me mudblood for a while and you have insulted my friends numerous times apart from that."

"Yeah, well, that was the image, had to keep it up and all that. So! Um, you said you wanted to talk to me about something?"

"Nice change of subject. And yes, I did….. This is kind of awkward, but…um.." she couldn't seem to get the words out of her mouth. "Could we take this thing off?" She asked, indicating the leather safety strap that kept them glued together. "This is already embarrassing enough without it."

"I don't know, I kind of like it like this."

"You would. Fine, I'll just come right out and say it then…." She just stood there for a good five minutes.

"Hermione, are you still there? You were going to come right out and say something?"

"Yes, I um… you see I was thinking…. Well… we um….."

"Yes, what is it?" he asked starting to become concerned, what was it she was having trouble saying to him. He didn't know, but he didn't like that she didn't feel comfortable enough to tell him anything at all.

"I was just…….it's just that……"

"Come on Hermione, out with it!"

"Will you sleep with me?"

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ok, I hope you enjoyed that. I'm not sure it came out so great, and I am sorry for the cheesy "cliff-hanger" at the end. I just couldn't help ending a chapter on that note. oh, and by the way, I have a new favorite series. It's called the dark hunter series, by Sherrilyn Kenyon, they're amazing. ok, back to topic at hand. I seem to be on a roll, if I keep up at this rate I may be finished with this one by midterms... MAY! I do hope to be writing more, and ironically I seem to have more free time, so I just might, though i am starting a different fiction (my big problem, I start new ones and then can't decided which to write, or worse i get in a roll with the other one and end up ignoring the current one!) but I am trying to focus more on this one and only work on the other when it is imposible for me to write this one (such as during class, or out on the quad, which I find myself drawn to, for some reason... there aren't even any boys out there... it's a mystery). So I hope to be updating more rapidly than I have been. once again sorry about the long ass wait for chapter 10! but here you have chapter 11 and, yeah, lot's of fun stuff coming up soon. but now, I am going to bed, so, good night all, sleep tight.


	12. One Last Night

Ok, so here is the next chapter, and i thought i should issue some warnings here. There is some sexual content, so, if you, fro some reason, do not like that (which would be odd since this fiction is rated T, which i am thinking i will change, yep, it's changed. ok, so, there is your warning. have fun with it.

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Harry was sitting in the room he was sharing with Ron doing the last of his homework when Ginny knocked. "Ron, are you in here?"

"No, I think he's in the basement."

"Oh, hi Harry, Ron's Divination book somehow ended up in my bag. I figured he might need it so I was just bringing it back. I guess I'll just leave it here."

"Yeah, so, have you got all of your homework finished?"

"Pretty much, I only have a little bit of Charms left. I figured I would just finish it on the train tomorrow cause I'm tired and don't feel like doing it tonight."

"That's what I was thinking about doing. I really don't think I can take anymore History of Magic."

"I know, When ever I think about it I start to get drowsy. I think it has something to do with Professor Binns."

Harry laughed. He liked this, just sitting here, talking to Ginny. It was nice.

"Sooo…" Ginny said, searching for something to say.

"Hagrid sent me a letter."

"Oh really, how was his Christmas?"

"Fine, he went to go visit Madame Maxime, he hasn't heard from her in a while."

"So he really likes her huh?" she asked crossing the room to sit on Ron's bed across from him.

"Well, that's kind of complicated. I think he sees her more as a friend, a lifeline, to others like him. I know he admires her, but whenever he talks about her he doesn't seem to be all, ooh."

"All oooh?" she smiled and laughed

"You know what I mean, he doesn't seem like he has those feeling for her."

"Yeah, I guess I understand. So, what all did he say?"

"He said that he was trying to find her, and that he wanted us to be careful. He said that Voldemort is probably trying to think of more ways to get to us."

"Yeah, I've been trying to focus on us this holiday and not think about him. I guess we won't be able to ignore it for too much longer though, will we?"

She sounded so defeated and scared that Harry got up to sit next to her. He put his arm around her and she laid her head on his shoulder.

"No, the time is rapidly approaching when we can ignore the evil no longer and must stand up to fight it."

"You sounded a little like Dumbledore just then." She said and looked up at him.

"I feel like I'm becoming more and more like him the more time I spend with him. I guess that's a good thing, right. I mean, I need to be a better leader if I am going to face off against Voldemort or whatever." His voice sounded sad to him, so he quickly tried to lighten the mood. "Well, from now on, just think of me as Dumbledore jr. maybe I should grow a beard."

He laughed and turned to look at her and found her face very close to his. She was staring straight at him. Everything slowed down as she put her hand against his cheek.

"I don't have to think of you as Dumbledore jr. I think you are one of the strongest and bravest people I've ever met. You have faced Voldemort four times and you never lost your head."

He could stop himself. He leaned forward and kissed her. Lay just sat there for a full minute with their lips just touching before she finally opened her mouth. Harry couldn't believe this. He had only kissed one other girl, Cho, and that had been nothing like this one. That kiss had been overwhelming and hard, this kiss was different. It wasn't demanding or overpowering. It was soft and gentle. He never wanted it to end; he wanted to sit here with her, like this, forever.

She couldn't move. She was finally kissing him, and it was so much better than she had ever imagined. It was so simple; there was nothing showy or tough about it. It just was. But it was better than anything she had ever experienced. She put her arms around his neck and hugged him to her as she felt his arms slide around her waist to do the same thing. Her stomach was fluttering more than ever and she could have just stayed their forever.

"Harry? Have you seen my divination book?" Ron asked as he walked into the room.

Harry and Ginny both pulled away at the same time. When Ron opened the door and saw them they were still very close. He stopped dead in his tracks. Harry just stared at Ron, who kept glancing back and forth between the two of them. Ginny was more embarrassed than she had ever been in her life.

"Um, yeah, it was in my bag for some reason. I brought it up but you weren't here, but you are, so there it is," she pointed to the chair she had left it on. "And, yeah, I better go, I still have some charms homework to do." She got up and practically ran from the room, leaving the two boys in there alone in their room.

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Draco couldn't believe what Hermione had just said to him. "You.. you want to have sex?" suddenly he was very aware of how close the harness actually kept them.

"Yes."

"Hermione, no you don't. How could you? We've only been together for… like.. 3 weeks."

"So what?"

"So, if you really sat down and thought about this then you would realize this isn't what you want to do."

"How the hell do you know what I want! You don't! So don't act like you know everything that goes on in my head."

"I'm not saying that. It's just that, I don't want you to do this for me. I don't want you to look back on it and regret it."

"I won't."

"How do you know that Hermione? Trust me, someday you'll think back on it and wish you hadn't."

"Because it's you?"

He stared over her head and didn't answer. His stance was rigid and his jaw was clenched shut. That was more than enough answer.

"Draco, look at me." She reached up and turned his head so she could look him in the eyes. "I want to do this. It's not just a spur of the moment thing, I've thought it through and this is what I want. I've never been more certain of anything. I know that is the corny, cliché line for this moment, but it's true. All I want to do is be with you. You may think that I'll regret it, but I won't, I know that I won't. How could I, when it's you?"

He couldn't take it anymore. She was offering him more than just her body; she was offering him her heart, her love. He wanted that more than anything in the world. He knew that he shouldn't, knew that he couldn't give her what she needed in return. But for just one night, he wanted to hold her in his arms and love her. He wanted to lie in her arms and feel loved.

He leaned down and kissed her gently. He should walk away, but he couldn't. He removed the strap from around them and then lead up to his dormitory.

She was feeling strangely nervous now that it came down to it. No one had seen her naked since she was a little girl, and that had been her parents. Ok, maybe it wasn't good to think if her parents right now! She was scared. Not of what was going to happen but that he wouldn't like it, wouldn't like her. What if he saw her and laughed?

As soon as they were in his bedroom and he had closed the door he turned to look at her. All thoughts scattered from her mind. He was looking at her with such tenderness and hunger. It gave her a strange feeling in her stomach that she didn't quite understand.

He pulled her over to the bed and sat down. When she was sitting next to him he reached behind her and took the hair band out of her hair. She reached to stop him.

"Trust me, you don't want that."

"Why not?"

"Because you've never seen it when I wake up in the mornings, and then all I've done is sleep on it."

"Please Hermione, I want to see your hair."

"Alright, but, it's that soft, smooth, run your fingers through it hair."

"I don't care."

He took a strand of her hair into his hand and toyed with it. She just sat there with this strange foreign feeling coursing through her. She wanted him to kiss her, to touch her.

He never wanted this to end. He knew why she had come to him tonight, because tomorrow the real world would invade their dream reality. They would have to ignore each other in the halls and during classes. Even worse they would have to pretend they hated each other, just like before. That was tomorrow, this was tonight. And if he had anything to say about it, this night would go on forever.

He dropped her hair and caressed her cheek with his knuckles. His hand slid around to the back of her neck and he pulled her to him for a kiss. It wasn't possessive, it was just a tender caress of his lips on hers, but she sighed and he felt like fire had just shot through him. He remembered what she had tasted like. He wanted more of her, but he was going to take this slowly. She was going to enjoy this; he was going to make sure of it.

She was amazed at how she was reacting to this simply kiss. They had kissed plenty of times by now, and with a lot more fervor than this, yet she had never felt like this before. Like she wanted to touch him, wanted him to touch her. She couldn't believe where her thoughts were going. She had thought this through, but she had never expected these thoughts.

He wanted to feel her skin. He reached his hand down and lifted her shirt ever so slightly so that only her navel was exposed. He began to trace soft circles with his fingers. The circles got bigger then smaller, teasing himself and her. What he really wanted to do would make this go a lot faster and he didn't want that. He was willing to risk his sanity for her comfort and pleasure. He could tell she was still a little nervous. That made him feel incredibly protective, he would never let anyone hurt her, even himself.

She was getting restless, his hand was driving her to distraction and she didn't even know why. All he was doing was tracing her bellybutton, but she wanted him to do more. She decided to take things into her own hands. She grabbed his hand and dragged it up to her breast as her tongue moved into his mouth to rub against his. In the back of her mind she was wondering where she got the nerve to do this, but it was blocked out by the need to be closer to him.

He growled at her impatience and gave her what she wanted. He removed his hand from her breast and stared into her eyes as he removed his shirt, then reached to remove hers. He reached around to her back to unhook her bra. As soon as it was out of the way he pulled her against him. They moaned in unison. The feel of her soft body against him was too good for words. If he could have he would have stayed there, pressed against her, for the rest of the night. As it was, however, there were other things he had in mind that required that he move.

She had never imagined how good this would feel. His skin against hers. Viktor had kissed her and had even touched breasts, he had caressed her stomach just like Draco had, but it wasn't the same. It had never been this erotic before. She wanted more.

He laid her on her back and then pulled away from her. He hovered above her on his side, staring at her body. He put his hand on her throat where her pulse beat rapidly against his fingers. He trailed his hand downwards. He gently traced his fingers around her breasts, then he continued downwards, stopping just above her skirt. She closed her eyes and moaned at his teasing touch. He moved his hand around to find the zipper and quickly discarded the item. He looked down at her panties for a minute before he slid his hand beneath them.

His fingers were like fire touching her most private parts. She moaned as his fingers teased her nub. When one finger hesitantly moved inside of her she came off the bed. She writhed when he withdrew and then pressed a second finger into her opening. She could feel the emotions building inside of her.

"Oh my God Draco! Please."

"Please what?" he asked, knowing exactly what she wanted.

"Please, more! more. Draco, don't stop!"

She bucked against his hand as he withdrew then rubbed her before he eased his hand back into her soft core. He used his thumb to caress her intimately while his fingers plundered her over and over again. She felt like she was going to burst. Then she did. She came apart in his hands. She felt like she was in heaven. And the whole time, he kept up the gentle invasion with his hands.

He watched her the entire time. He saw he orgasm coming longer before she felt it, and he had watched her face as she came for him. He wanted to give her more. More than he had ever given anyone else. He didn't stop the sweet torture with his hands. He moved to position himself on top of her.

She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. His hand was still pleasuring her and she new she was going to come again. She captured his tongue in her teeth and began to suck as she arched against his hand again and again. She came again right there and screamed into his mouth. She wanted to feel him, she reached down to undo his pants. His hand stopped her.

"Don't do that just yet. I want this to last and if I feel your hands on me I won't be able to stop myself."

She like the idea that she could make him lose his control so she pulled her hands away from his and reached again for the opening of his pants.

"Oh, so, I guess, that would mean you wouldn't want me to do this." She said as she took his throbbing erection into her hands and began to message it from base to tip.

He almost came right then. "Oh, God, Hermione, you feel so good! Stop, you have to stop, or I'm going to-"

She silenced him with a kiss and moved her hands faster along his penis. He moaned into her mouth and she smiled as she pulled back. "Stop what? This?" She pulled his cock between her legs and rubbed herself against him. "Or this?" she asked as she moved her head to lick just below his ear.

"That, yes, stop, don't please, Hermione, keep going. Oh God, yes!"

She continued to caress him with her hands as she licked and nipped at his neck and shoulders. He could tell he was about to come and tried to stop it, but she wouldn't let him. She arched against him and moaned like he was inside of her and that was his undoing. He shouted as he came and then collapsed on top of her.

She smiled at the power she had over him.

"What do you think you're smiling at? I have plans for you missy, and don't think that made me forget them." To emphasize his point he shoved two fingers into her then kissed her throat. He moved his head down to her breasts and he took one nipple into his mouth and began to suckle. She threaded her fingers into his hair and held him there as she moaned for him to do it harder.

He moved lower still where he could kiss her stomach. She arched slightly, wanting more, and he gave it to her. She cried out when he entered her with his tongue. She had heard of things like this, but had never thought they would feel so good. Her back bowed of its own volition and she moaned his name.

He loved the way she tasted. And he loved her reactions to him. She was perfect in every way. His perfect angel. Though right now she was acting more like a wild animal the way she was pressing his head closer to her with her hands as she arched into his mouth.

"Draco, yes, yes, please, don't stop, just like that, yes, yes, yes, YES!"

She screamed as she came. He body shuddered against him and he didn't stop his gentle torment until she had glided back down to earth. Then he moved up her body, reigning soft kisses all over. He kissed her fiercely on the mouth as he reached to his nightstand and opened the drawer. He removed a condom and put it on. Positioning himself in front of her vagina he stopped and looked at her.

"Hermione, have you ever done this before?" She bit her lip and shook her head no. "Ok, then I'm sorry baby." And with that he rammed into her, capturing her cry of pain with his mouth.

"Stop! I want to stop now." She said but she knew that she didn't really want that, she wanted him to keep going, but it had hurt so badly.

"I know baby, it hurts, but it won't last, just give it a minute. No, baby, don't move, OH God, you feel so good! Baby, please, don't move like that, I don't know how long I can stay still if you do."

She stopped wiggling immediately. She looked up at the boy above her. He had his eyes clenched shut and hi jaw and body were rigid. He was trying so hard not to hurt her that he was hurting himself. That more than anything else took away the pain, and when she moved it actually felt good.

"Hermione, stop moving! I'm trying to let you get used to me, but if you keep doing that I won't be able to stop myself."

"Good, cause I'm getting sick and tired of waiting for you to move!"

His eyes flew open and he looked at her. He didn't see pain on her face. She actually looked angry with him for keeping her waiting. He smiled as he withdrew then slowly entered her again. She felt so good; he thought he might come from just being in her tight wet heat. But he wanted her to come first. He reached down between their joined bodies and messaged the nub just the way he knew would give her the most pleasure.

If she could have held on to a thought she would have been amazed at how good this felt. His thickness inside of her. Filling her to her womb. She would have been in awe of the fact that something could feel better than his tongue. But she couldn't think of anything but his body in hers and her body wanting more. She wrapped her legs around his waist and arched against him.

He had tried to go slow but she wouldn't let him set the pace. He rocked with her faster and faster, racing towards completion. She came first, throwing her head back and calling his name. As soon as he heard her cry his name in pleasure and felt her legs clamp around his waist just as her body tighten around his member he burst. He roared her name when he came. They collapsed together.

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Harry wasn't sure what he should do. Ron was just staring at him, he didn't know if he was angry or shocked or both. The one thing he was certain of was that he did feel protective of Ginny because she was his best friends little sister. He did feel protective though, he just wasn't sure why.

"Um, Ron?" Harry ventures, not sure if he should mention what just happened or not.

"You.. Gin… you…. What the hell was that!"

"I… I don't know."

"Well, you bloody well better figure out what it was!" Ron said sounding much more angry than he had before.

"I thought you wanted us to get together, why are you reacting like this."

"She's my sister! And if you aren't sure what you want from her then I will get pissed off all I want when I walk in on you on top of her."

"Ok," Harry began getting angry himself now, "A, I wasn't on top of her, we were barely kissing! B, you know me well enough to know that I wouldn't just fuck around with her!"

"Yeah, I do, but when you tell me you don't know what you want…. I do want you two to get together. I do know you well enough to know you wouldn't dick around with her. That's one of the reasons I want you two together. I trust you."

"Oh, that's so nice. You are trying to set me up with your sister so that you don't have to worry about her boyfriend!"

"That's not what I meant and you know it. Just, do me a favor all right? Know what you want from her before you go any further?"

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Ok, I am very sorry about the sex scene. I'm not sure how good it turned out. I just know that it was pretty long. Would you believe that I'm still a virgin! yeah, in the words of Prok I am in for a major disappointment. anyway! i don't know. it may have been awful. i am always really self concious about those kind of scenes, probably because I am a virgin and have never experienced it first hand. So most of that knowledge is from romance novels that I have read, and seriously, if you are looking for a good romance novel, read the Dark hunter series. if you go to and click reading order (duh..) it will tell you the order to read them in. they're great. but back to point! ok, that was it, i am glad I got it updated, and i am now going off to start the next chapter. (I hope at least part of that made sense to you)


	13. Attraction Revealed

Ginny felt like she was going insane! She couldn't even begin to understand the torrent of emotions going on inside of her. She wanted to run out of the house right then to stay away from Ron and not have to talk to him about what he had walked in on. She also wanted to get as far away from Harry as possible.

She didn't want to have to face him after that. She had wanted that kiss for years, and she had finally let go of him! Finally she had left him behind and accepted that they would never happen, that he would never think of her as more than his best friends little sister, and his own. That kiss wasn't very brotherly though, and part of her was so happy about that fact.

That part of her without control or reason wanted to run back upstairs and back into his arms and finish a kiss that hadn't been passionate enough for her in the deepest parts of her desires. And that was the part that scared her the most. She was actually considering the fact that he might like her. And she couldn't do that! She had spent too many years talking herself out of those fantasies to have it all crumble down around one kiss that could be explained away by simple teenage hormones. But in the back of her mind she knew the truth; those fantasies had never gone away. Not completely at least. She had talked herself into pretending she didn't like him anymore so much that her mind actually started to believe the lie. But she had never given up hope; she had always wanted him to respond to her in a lover's way.

That kiss had sparked so many feelings that she had thought were dormant inside of her, and brought many ideas to her mind. It's not like she had never daydreamed about stuff like that, or even going further. She was willing to admit that her fantasies some times included sex…. or at least, as much of sex as she could imagine in her current condition. But now she actually wanted to live out some of her fantasies… with Harry.

She couldn't make sense of her own mind. She wanted to be with Harry, but she wanted more than just a passing fling, and in her heart she couldn't force anything else on him. He had so many things weighing down on him right now, she couldn't add to his burden. Part of her was also giving in to that annoying insecure voice in her head saying that he could never feel that way about her.

She had to calm down and stop thinking about that kiss is what she needed to do. But that was just it, she couldn't, it was too brief, too soft, too undemanding, too….. simple and caring.

That was the other thing that scared the hell out of her. It had been simple; she had kissed boys before, more than anyone knew about, and those had been more than simple. So why did she feel this way now, when she hadn't any other time? But deep down she knew the answer to that question, she was in love with him. She had never been in love before and had therefore always denied that she could be in love with him because she didn't understand what love was. She was now confronted with the truth however, and she couldn't deny it anymore.

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Hermione was lying with her back pulled up against Draco's front. His arm was thrown over the top of her holding her close. She was amazed by what had happened tonight. She had slept with Draco Malfoy. She had slept with the boy who had done everything in his power to hurt her friends and herself, the boy who had called her names and insulted her friend's family, yet, she was blissfully happy, because he was the boy she loved. Part of her knew that this feeling wouldn't last. That she would have to explain and that day would bring her splendor to an end, but that day wasn't tonight, it wasn't right now. She would savor this moment and think of it in the coming weeks when she became saddened by the pretense they had to keep up. She would think of the tender look in Draco's eye when he had looked at her after they made love and she would hold it close.

She had to stop. She was beginning to sound like their relationship would be over come morning. The truth was, however, that it would in a way. They would no longer have the school to themselves to meet in a deserted place and talk or kiss whenever they felt like it. They would have to hide, and that thought tore her apart. She didn't want to have to hide from other people. But she knew they had to, she knew that if they didn't something terrible could happen. The people attending Hogwarts weren't always the most accepting, and it couldn't get back to Lucius Malfoy. He would disown his son with out a thought, and she couldn't do that to Draco.

So for now, she would content herself with whatever they could manage. When morning came everything would change, but for now, this night was theirs. They were together and that was what mattered. She snuggled closer to the boy holding her so tenderly and closed her eyes, willing reality to disappear again, even if just for a few hours.

Draco woke up to Hermione wriggling against him and had to stop himself from moaning. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes waiting for her to stop her innocent torture.

He could only take it for so long, however, before he had to stop her. He spread his hand out on her stomach, just below her belly button and held her firmly against him. He heard her gasp of surprise and let out a whimper of his own to mingle with it.

This girl could drive him insane and not even know it. She turned in his arms and layed on her back so that she could look up at him.

"I didn't realize you were awake." Hermione said

"I wasn't."

"Oh, I'm sorry I woke you up."

"Not as sorry as I am." He said under his breath.

He had hurt her feelings and could hear it in her voice when she said "Oh, well, I'm sorry then. I guess I'll just go."

She got up to get dressed. She couldn't believe what he had said. He hadn't wanted to wake up next to her. He cared more about his rest than he cared about her!

She was picking up her clothes when she was pulled roughly back up against his naked chest. She shivered involuntarily.

"I didn't mean too hurt your feelings." He started but she interrupted him before he could finish. "Oh! You didn't. I was just about to get up anyway, I shouldn't waste anymore time dilly dallying. I need to get back up to my room"

"The hell you do!" He said as he turned her around to face him. "You little miss smarty pants need to learn to listen and pay closer attention to your surroundings. Had you done that you would have noticed before any of this started what your wriggling around over there was doing to me. And secondly, if you had let me finish I was about to say, that I am only sorry that I'm awake because of how very aware I am of you when I'm awake, and I shouldn't be."

She looked at him a little embarrassed, she could now see the very obvious signs of his arousal and she had jumped to conclusions. "I'm sorry I guess I just…. Wait a second, why shouldn't you be?" She asked, her anger flaring.

"Oh baby, you really are an innocent aren't you." He said as he leaned his forehead against hers. "I want you so bad right now. All I want to do is throw you on this bed and drive us both out of our minds, but I can't. not tonight."

"Why not?"

"This was your first time, it would hurt you too bad. I don't want to do that to you."

"Oh, well, what if I wanted you to do that to me?"

"What?!" His head came up faster than anything she had ever seen. He just stared at her.

She decided she needed to take control of this situation, which was awkward since she didn't really know what she was supposed to do. "What if I wanted you to touch me?"

"Hermione" his voice was very faint.

"What if I asked you to touch me here?" She picked up one of his hands and placed it on her breast. The sensation of his rough skin against such a sensitive place made her bite her lip and whimper. "Or," her voice was getting husky with arousal, "what if I wanted you to touch me… here?" She led his other hand to her most intimate part.

"Hermione" his voice was raspy with the restraint that was wearing thin.

"Draco." She said in what she hoped was a very alluring voice.

"It will hurt Hermione, we can't"

"Well seeing as it's me that will be hurt; I think I should have the last word. And I do want the last word Draco. And I want you. I want to feel you inside of me. Feel your hands, and your tongue on my body. Please Draco."

"Hermione, are you sure about this? You aren't going to regret it are you? Because if I start this I don't know if I'll be able to stop."

"Well, what if I wanted to touch you…" she trailed her hand along his arm over his shoulder and down his chest. She paused on his nipple and drew circles around both, then moved her fingers downward until she was touching him just below his stomach. "Here?" and with that she took him in her hands and his breathe, which had been held since she began her gentle torment came out on a moan.

"So what would you say?" She asked, starting to become bored with her game, wanting more.

"I would say, yes. I would be more than happy to do that." He said as he slid two fingers into her core.

Her head rolled backwards and she leaned into his hand, letting him plunder her with his fingers, while she kept up her slow assault on him.

He loved watching her right now. As he gave her the pleasure she had asked him for, and as she gave him pleasure that he couldn't refuse. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever known and the look on her face right now was one that turned him on to the point of exploding.

"Stop Hermione" he told her when he was dangerously close to orgasm.

"What?" her head came up and she looked him in the eye. When she saw the effect she was having on him she couldn't help but ask, "Stop what Draco? This?" She ran her palm over the length of him and back again.

He shuddered and tried to stay her hand. "Hermione, don't do that, I'm going to -"

"What?" She asked as she did it again. She pulled his lips to hers and kissed him as she continued to pleasure him. He resisted the distraction at first but finally gave in. She drove her tongue inside in a bold move that turned him on even more. She continued to pleasure him as he continued to make love to her with his hand. He wanted her to be as insane as he was. He wanted to drive all these teasing games out of her mind.

"Hermione!" he called to her as he pulled away and heightened the pace of his hand as she drew him closer to completion. He stared at her face as her pleasure grew.

She looked up to see him watching her. He was driving her crazy and she could feel the pressure building up inside of her. "Draco, please!"

He knew what she was asking and he gave it too her willingly.

They came together staring into each other's eyes. It was one of the most incredible things Hermione had ever experienced.

He stood up from his kneeling position on the bed and laid her down on the soft mattress. He couldn't believe that he really had her. He kept expecting to wake up and find out it had all been one insanely perfect dream. He didn't want to wake up though, and if this was a dream, then he was going to enjoy as much of it as he could.

"Hermione," he stopped, she was looking up at him so lovingly. It wasn't real, but he wanted it to be. He didn't understand it, they were only sixteen yet he wanted her to care about him, to love him. He couldn't say anything else; he leaned down and kissed her. Nothing demanding, just a simple brush of his mouth on hers, but it spoke more than the loudest scream.

"Draco?" The strangest look had come over his face, it was as if he were trying to savor this moment as much as she was. God she hope so, she didn't know what she would do if he were to walk out of her life without a backward glance, if he didn't even try to see her after school resumed. She needed him now. "Draco, please. Make love to me."

"As you wish" he said as a mischievous grin appeared on his face.

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The Weasley household was in an uproar. There was clothing everywhere that had yet to be packed as well as schoolbooks. It took two hours before they were ready to leave and once they were on the road they had to go back because Ginny forgot her hairbrush.

Ginny had gone out of her way to avoid Harry, not that he had done much better. They were both feeling a bit awkward over what had happened. Ginny didn't want to get into it right now, either. She was confused enough with what was in her own mind, she didn't need to add what was on his to it.

Harry was feeling quite the same way. He wasn't sure what had happened in the room with the whole kiss thing, but whatever it was couldn't happen again, at least not now. He respected Ginny and Ron too much to start something there that he knew he couldn't finish. There was too much at stake. New reports of Voldemort and his supporters were being heard every day, and things were starting to get more urgent. He had too many people counting on him right now, Ginny included. He couldn't risk it all just for a girl, even if he really wanted to.

What did he want? That was the question that was really getting to him. He knew that if he were to do something with Ginny that it would have to be more than just a fling, but did he want to do something with Ginny? He had always seen her as Ron's little sister. She had honestly never registered in his mind as a girl, until recently.

It was times like these that he really missed Sirius, he had always been able to make his worries seem to go away. He had been trying very hard not to think about that, about how much easier this would all be with Sirius at his side. How different his death made the outcome of this new war. He had succeeded too. So why did Ginny, a girl who was on his side in this thing make him long for Sirius' advice more than Voldemort himself?

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Ron was very excited about getting back to school. He had decided that he was finally going to tell Hermione how he felt about her. He knew he had told Ginny that he would wait, but he needed to get it out, he had the nerve and he needed to tell her. He might not say anything the second he got back, but within the first week, definitely.

He had to tell her, and she might even thank him. She might need someone to lean on and he could be that person. Yes, he had to tell her. He would tell her before the month was out!

It was imperative! He really liked her, and she had a right to hear about those feelings from him! It was only fair! She had to know, and he would tell her, sometime, before the end of the year.

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Draco woke up with the most contented feeling in his chest. He could get used to this, waking up beside this girl. Wait! Where the hell were his thoughts going?! He knew that he had feeling for her, but still, he was only sixteen, he couldn't start feeling like he was ready to settle down for the rest of his life! And he definitely could not start thinking of that with this girl. He had know right to even dream of something like that.

He had nothing to offer her, just a legacy of evil and a threat of death. His father would kill her if he found out that he was falling for her. He was such a great guy, always had been, he would kill her and probably leave Draco alive just to torture him with her death on his conscience. He didn't want that. She deserved so much more than him. He really was nothing compared to her.

He still found it unbelievable that she actually wanted to be with him. That she was willing to care about him, after everything he had done to her. Someday she was going to come to her senses and realize what a mistake she was making, but for now he would just hold her close to him and savor the feel of her body pressed against his. Moments like this were going to be practically non-existent soon. They couldn't just sleep like this without people finding them. They would have to rely on snatched moments and secret kisses in the coming months.

He should get up and get ready for the coming day, but he didn't want to wake her. He wanted to stay in this dream with her for as long as he could. He pulled her tighter against his chest and laid his head back down and closed his eyes. Savoring the warmth she brought to his frozen heart.

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woh! sorry for the long pause. I met people and school got very hectic. but i have been inspired by one of my friends to keep going. so hopefully she will stay on my ass to give her more chapters and i will post faster. i have most of it thought out already, it's just going to take some doing to add stuff in to draw everything out. bleh! ok, well, R&R! thank you! love you! posting again soon! bye!


	14. Back to Reality

As soon as they arrived at school Harry and Ron went in search of Hermione. They found her sitting in one of the chairs next to the fireplace. She had a book open in her lap as if she had been reading it, but she was currently busy staring into the fire.

"Hey Hermione. How was your Christmas?" Ron asked as he walked over to her.

"Oh hi guys. It was good, a bit odd, but good."

"You should have come with us to my house. It was so much fun. Everyone was there."

"Yeah, it was pretty fun. Percy was outside a lot and Bill and Charlie spent most of their time leaning out of an upstairs window dropping very slimy things on his head. It's hard to believe, but I think they might actually be worse than Fred and George in that department!"

"Wow, it sounds like the two of you had fun."

"Oh, yeah. It was a blast. Until I caught Harry here defiling my sister!"

"WHAT?!"

"Thanks for that Ron. Did you really have to bring that up? Did the conversation really call for it? And I did not defile her! Defiling calls for a hell of a lot more than what we were doing!"

"Which was?!" Hermione asked, obviously intrigued.

"Nothing!"

"Snogging!"

"No. Kissing. I kissed her, and it wasn't even that….. I mean, it didn't last….. Bloody hell, there isn't a way I can put this that I can win with is there?"

"Not really. But, Oh my God! I can't believe you kissed Ginny! What happened? Was it just a hey don't feel bad kiss, or was it a you're here and I'm here so lets kiss kiss, or was it a I can't keep my hands off of you for another second cause I might explode kiss?"

"Hermione, what the hell are you talking about? Ron, did you know that there were that many types of kisses?"

"No, I thought it was just kissing."

"Well, there are a lot of different types of kisses! I mean honestly! Ron, do you kiss Ginny the same way you would kiss your girlfriend?"

"EW! NO!"

"Exactly! So there are two kinds already! So Harry, which one was it?"

"I don't know. I'm a guy, remember, I don't think about these things!"

"OH! Fine! I'll go find Ginny and get the good dirt from her!"

She got up and walked away from the two boys in the direction of the girls dormitories.

"That girl is odd." Harry said as she left.

"She's a girl, what did you expect? Their minds don't work like ours do. There's a lot more….. fluff, and….. sugar and spice and stuff in there that makes them care more about those stupid little things. You know, like flowers and candy and feelings."

"Ok, even I know that was a stupid statement, and I'm a guy."

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Hermione was waiting for Ginny in her dorm when she came in to her room. She bounded off the bed and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"YOU KISSED HARRY?!"

"Ok, you have obviously talked to Ron and Harry already."

"SO?! What happened? How was it? What did he say? What led up to it? What happened after? And why did Ron know?"

"It isn't that big of a deal."

"Yes it is! So spill."

"But-"

"You spill about you and Harry, and I'll spill about me and Draco…"

Ginny couldn't resist the pull of that news. "Ok. So I took Ron's book up to his room but he wasn't there, Harry was. So we were talking for a second and then we just kissed. It was one of those You're here and I'm here so lets kiss kisses, but with more emotion than that makes it sound like."

"How did you end up kissing though?"

"Well I was sitting next to him on the bed-"

"ON THE BED?! You two were on the bed together?!"

"Yes, but at that point we were just talking. And we were talking about Voldemort and he put his arm around me and I laid my head on his shoulder-"

"AW! That's so sweet!"

"Do you want to hear this, or do you want to keep interrupting?"

"Sorry, go on."

"Ok, so then I looked up at him and he was looking down at me, and we were really close, so….. we kissed."

"SO it was like something pulled you to each other. Like a magnetic field." Hermione had gotten this really dreamy far off look in her eye, and Ginny couldn't help but laugh at her. "Oh, so you think that's funny do you? Well then see if I tell you about Draco!"

"Hey that's not fair! You said you would!"

"Oh alright! So we spent most of Christmas together, and yeah."

"What would the yeah be??"

"Well, he's really sweet actually."

"Oh yeah, what else?"

"He's….. really good at kissing….. and….." She trailed off as her face got bright red.

"AND?! AND WHAT?!" Ginny practically screamed, though she had a pretty good idea of what the and… was.

"And… he's also really good at….. chess?" Ginny gave her a look that said she would murder her in her sleep if she didn't tell it all. "Ok! So.. we kind of slept together."

"Holy Shit Hermione! You did what?! How, when, where, why, and was it any good?"

"Well…I asked." She hid her face in her hands. Then spoke from there "last night, the slytherin dorm." She looked up. "because he's gorgeous! And so incredibly sweet, and caring. And I wanted to. And…" Hermione got that far off look again as she sighed "Yeah."

"So, he was good?"

"Oh yeah. He even tried to not do it again because he knew that it would hurt me."

"Aw! I would have never expected it. But that is so cute! Why can't every guy be like that?"

"What?! Are you telling me that you've done it?!"

"No no! but a girl in this room has, and she felt the need to tell us all about it. Horrific, trust me, you don't want to know."

"Oh, well, Draco was perfect."

"Did it hurt?"

"Yeah, but then it felt really good. And the second time it kind of hurt, but not really."

"But that goes away, doesn't it? The hurting thing?"

"Well, I don't know. That was last night, and we obviously haven't done it since then!"

"Well... Does it still hurt today? Just…. You?"

"Kind of. I'm a little sore but it isn't all that bad."

They both sighed in unison.

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Draco laid in his bed as his dorm mates came in unloading their things. They were all talking about the things they had done over the break from school and the present that they had gotten for Christmas. He was trying to hold on to the way Hermione had looked last night.

He knew that they couldn't be like that anymore. That somehow it had all changed in the passing of an hour. The school was back and now they had to do what they had known they would have to do all along. So why did it still bother him that he had to go back to the jackass persona?

_Just think of her face when she asked you to sleep with her_ he thought. There, that would get him through it. He had to figure out which classrooms would be empty and when too. She may think he was a saint, or whatever, but he was still a guy.

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A/N - ok, wow! Mondo sorries!!! Though, I doubt that anyone who was originally reading this fic is still there, and anyone who started when I got that fire freshmen year has probably given up too… still, really sorry.

I've had to reread everything to remember everything that I put in there. And wow, I had some weird shit in there. (sorry for the cursing…) for one, Luna isn't a Gryffindor… apparently I can make an entire website for harry potter including intricate backgrounds for all of tom riddle's family members, but when it comes to current things, I can't keep it all in my head… yeah… anyway. I'm sure there was a reason, I may have mentioned it all before, whtever. Lol. Ok, so here I am looking back, and this all started about my freshmen or sophomore year of highschool and I am now a senior in college… wow, adding to the sorries. Especially since I started laughing at the note I put in an earlier chapter about being finished by midterms! Yeah, like 2 years later! Sorry. I'm debating shortening it all, just to get it done.

Anyway! I have been writing lately, just not this fic, cause I needed to reread it. I have a lot of other things started at this point, but I am still going!!! I've been in a writing mood so now I plan to get this finished! Sometime before I'm done with grad school. 

Oh, and finally, part of this I had written before, so if it seems a little bit strange then I'm sorry.


	15. Stoking the Fire

"I'm starving," Ron said as they made their way to the great hall for dinner.

"When are you not?" laughed Hermione. She was very nervous and trying to hide it. This was the first real test. Draco would be there, the whole school would be there, and they had to ignore each other. No, she qualified; they had to hate each other.

How was she going to tell Ron? She had to do it, but she didn't know how. _'hey Ron, I know that you're in love with me and all, but I'm going to pass on you and go for the one person that insults everything we are with his very breath.' _Yeah, probably not a good tactic. He was one of her best friends. She couldn't keep it from him, but she didn't want to have to tell him either.

Ginny glanced at her as they walked through the doors. Hermione gave her a nervous look then took a deep breath and followed her friends. She tried to keep looking forward, but her head turned just a little as her eyes sought him out at the Slytherin table. He was staring at her. Her breath caught. He had his head down so she couldn't really see his eyes, but she knew that they were on her. Forcing herself to look away she sat down by her friends. She couldn't help but glance his way again to see if he was still looking at her. His head was turned away from her talking to his friends, but every now and again she caught him glancing towards her.

"Well that went ok." Ginny whispered. Hermione looked at her relieved.

"So how was your break Hermione?" Neville asked from across the table.

"Oh!" she said, surprised, searching for something to say. "Good. Nothing really special. Just a lot of boring stuff."

"You really missed a great time at our house." Ron jumped in, "especially the end." He glanced at Harry and Ginny.

Harry glared at him. Then, when he saw how red Ginny had gotten, he said, "Ron, drop it, alright."

"What? I was just commenting-"

"I said drop it Ron." His voice took on a hard edge.

Ginny couldn't help herself. She grabbed Harry and pulled him to her, for a sudden kiss. It was wrong, she knew that. Stupid too, but he wouldn't stop picking. "There," she said as she pulled away, "now you got an encore. Wasn't it exciting?!" She stood up and stormed out of the hall. Hermione glared at Ron then got up to follow.

"What the bloody hell?!" Ron muttered.

"I told you to stop it." Harry said. "I asked you not to mention it. You couldn't help it could you?!"

"Hey, I'm just trying to help, ok. You two are never going to talk about it without a little push." Ron defended.

"Did you not think that maybe we should talk about it in our own time?! Or, in this universe where you're right, did you really think that the great hall was the best place for it?! Over dinner?!"

Ron paused. "I just wanted to help."

"Ron, just because you want me and Ginny together, does not mean that you can force it. It doesn't even mean that a simple kiss is going to lead anywhere. Just drop it, ok, and let us work it out on our own."

"Fine." Ron grumbled as he reached for a dish. Harry got up and followed the girls.

* * *

"Ginny." Hermione called as she started up the steps.

"I know it was horrible of me, but I couldn't stand it anymore!" Ginny turned on the top step and stared down at her friend, tears running down her face. "Why can't he let it go?! I don't even know what happened! We kissed! I haven't even talked about it ourselves yet! And yet he can't leave it alone!" she crumpled on the floor.

Hermione went up to her and sat next to her. "He's a boy. I think that's the best defense we can give him. And he's Ron, so he doesn't exactly thin before he speaks." She put her arm around her. "You know that he's not one to consider how everyone present will take something before he says it."

"I know. It just gets to me sometimes."

"Ginny?" Harry stood at the bottom of the stairs looking up at the girls.

Ginny turned her head and wiped her eyes quickly, "Yes?" she called looking back at him.

He stepped up onto the first step. "Can we…" he paused and looked at Hermione, "can we talk?"

"Oh, well, I should be…" Hermione looked to Ginny for the ok, she nodded, "going, and getting… homework… yeah, I have homework I need to be doing." She stood up and backed awkwardly away, before turning and hurrying off.

Harry walked up and stopped next to her. Looking around he spotted an empty classroom. "Come on. Let's go in here." he motioned to the door and put out his hand to help her up. She took it and they walked into the classroom.

They stood there for a minute in silence. "So…" Harry finally said. "Look, I'm no good at this. I don't claim to have a lot of experience. And I won't lie to you and tell you that I know what the other day was about, I just…"

"Don't want to ignore it anymore?" Ginny volunteered when he didn't finish.

"Yeah, and I think it would be better for everyone if we got down to it all."

"Right. So… yeah." Ginny looked around for something else to say.

"Yeah."

"Ok, I'll start I guess. Well… it's not like I didn't like it. It was nice… "

"Yeah. It was… nice" Harry ventured. "I just… it may sound bad, but I never really thought of you like that before, you know. I mean, you were Ron's little sister, and I was always busy…"

"To say the least." She smiled.

"This is new to me. I mean, after the other day… well I definitely see you in that light now." He blushed. "I mean… God I'm making a mess of this!" He walked over to stand in front of her. "Alright, look, I did see you like that, but I didn't give it real thought… and now… well I obviously wasn't thinking of you in a little sister capacity the other day… I just… I don't know how it is I feel right now."

"I understand that. I'm feeling the same way, and don't worry, I get what you meant, I probably wouldn't be able to put my thoughts across any better. "

He laughed. "I think that makes me feel a little better."

"So, then are we good? I mean, are we going to be able to go back to normal?"

"I hope so…" He smiled. He suddenly felt a little awkward. What else was he supposed to say? He also realized that they hadn't really said anything. Why had he kissed her? He had no idea, but he was suddenly feeling the urge to do it again. Just the thought of her sitting there crying. He didn't want her to cry. He reached out and rubbed his thumb on the underside of her eye.

Realizing what he was doing he cleared his throat and stepped back. "Well I guess we had better get back. After all you're probably hungry."

"Yeah." Ginny laughed. What had just happened?! "Plus Hermione is probably wondering around wondering if I'll come running out crying or something."

Harry laughed. "Yeah. Ok, well…"

"Yeah…"

* * *

Hermione figured she would head back up to the dorms. She didn't really feel like going back into the great hall and having to face Ron right now. It had already been hard, but after that. God! How stupid and insensitive could you be! Not that Ginny's reaction was much better. The reaction to along the table had been interesting, but the whispers they were going to hear in the hallway tomorrow between classes was going to be horrible.

She didn't really want to have to go back in there and face the fact that she couldn't be open about her feelings either. It was probably cowardly, and she would have to do it soon anyway, in the hall and in classrooms, much smaller than the great hall, but she didn't want to face it yet. Not while last night was still fresh in her mind.

As she passed a tapestry a hand shot out from behind and pulled her into a dark corridor. Her mouth was covered just as she was about to scream.

"That's not exactly the reaction I was hoping for." Draco whispered in her ear as he pulled her up against him.

"Well when you pull a girl into a dark place without warning you can't get a really excited reaction." She said. It was strange that she couldn't see his face, but it was so dark in here that even if she was facing him she wouldn't have been able to see him. "Did you have to choose somewhere so dark?"

"I was thinking of you when I picked this place." He said, trying to sound affronted, but the laughter in his voice gave him away.

"Oh really," she turned in his arms and put her hands on his chest. "And how were you thinking of me?" she asked, looking up at what she hoped was his face, but all she could see was a faint outline.

He leaned down so that he could whisper in her ear. "I figured you wouldn't want me to see you blush when I asked you how you were feeling today."

"Oh." She said. He was right, she was blushing, and if he saw her she would just be more embarrassed. "Fine." In fact she was feeling something very far from discomfort standing like this with him.

"Are you sure?" He asked as he started kissing her neck.

"Yeah," she sighed as she tilted her head.

"Oh good." He said, just before he captured her mouth.

She melted into him as he kissed her. Suddenly all of the stress of hiding everything was forgotten and all that existed was the two of them, holding each other here in this dark corner of the castle. She wanted to stay here forever and never leave.

It seemed like they had only been there for a second when they started hearing voices coming down the hallway. "Draco. People are coming."

"Makes it more fun doesn't it?" he laughed.

"Draco!" she gasped as she hit him. Then she laughed. "I'm seeing a whole new side of you now that everyone is back. We really should be going though."

He caught her as she moved toward the tapestry. "You really don't have that much experience with sneaking around do you?" he sighed, "with the amount of times Potter and you got out of tight scrapes I would have thought you learned something. If you're hiding, you don't go walking out in a big crowd and give away your position." He paused for a minute, "Unless you're in a less secretive spot…" he trailed off. "Trust me; it's best if we wait here for everyone to go, then you can sneak out when it's quiet."

"What about you?"

"I'll wait here for a few more minutes. Then I'll leave. I have more excuses for sneaking off then you do."

"I don't know, the library generally works for Harry and Ron."

"I think it works for most people actually." He smiled.

They had to have been in here for a while if she could actually see the fact that he was smiling at her. "How do you always make me lose track of time?"

The topic change made him pause. "I like that I can make you lose track of things." He leaned down and kissed her again.

"I need to get more used to that." She said when he pulled back. "Last thing I heard out there was a lot of voices, now it's silent."

"You should probably go." He whispered.

"What if I don't want to?"

"Trust me, I'll find other places to steal away to."

"Hhmmm …" I think I like the sound of it.

"I'll turn you yet." He laughed then kissed her and started pushing her gently toward the tapestry. "Now go, I'll see you later."

She dug in her heels and turned around. "Alright, but not before I get another kiss." She leaned up and kissed him silly then turned and left with a laugh.

"That girl is going to kill me," His face split into a wide grin.

* * *

A/N – ok, so I just discovered the best movie ever!!! It's Tom Cruise, Tim Curry, and Billy Barty (oh Iddy). It's called Legend! I'm sure that it's a big thing for people and some may hate me for not knowing it till now, but I have just discovered it and I love it!!! Tom Cruise is so little and cute, and Tim Curry is all hidden again, so him!

Anyway! So yeah, another chapter, yay! I'm going going going!!! I figure I've got until school starts up before I get distracted again, so that give me a month to write as much as I can. The problem is I'm also working on my actual book, so there is a bit of a war going on. This one is sooo much easier!!! Lol. :)


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